A Beautiful Deception
by airedalegirl1
Summary: Sometimes you have no choice but to act in the best interests of those you love, even if your actions go against everything you believe in. When Alice tells Carlisle she sees disaster unless he can find a way to stop a flourishing relationship between Edward and Bella he is forced to take action but like throwing a pebble into a pond the consequences ripple outward. B/J as always.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

 **Carlisle**

Everything had gone so well for years now, Esme was happy with the family I had created for her, our "children" seemed settled and content to enjoy life as teenagers in High School moving easily from state to state as time forced us to do and when I suggested to Esme that we could return to Forks she was delighted. The house there was one of her favourites and the location, close to the Olympic range and plenty of wilderness areas meant the family could relax, There was always the slight problem of the Quileute reservation but both they and we had kept to the treaty I had forged with the elders many years back so it was safe enough to make our home there for a few precious years.

I had been startled and a little apprehensive when Edward became interested in the Police Chief's daughter but as he was in control of his thirst and she seemed to be fond of him both Esme and I decided to leave matters for the moment. Edward had shown little interest in girls before Bella and we thought it would be good for him to have a girlfriend although he knew that nothing could come of the relationship in the long term, she was human and he was a vampire and the two just didn't mix. Even Rosalie who was usually very reserved around humans seemed relaxed about Bella, especially when she saw that Edward kept a distance between his human girlfriend and the family. Alice, of course, couldn't help herself, she just had to get to know Bella and the two became friends although this didn't sit well with Jasper who still found it difficult to relate to humans in a social setting although he was improving with the experience he gathered by attending school as a senior.

Bella had visited the house a few times but we were very careful that she never saw anything that might give her pause for thought. It was one thing I was very strict about, the Volturi law against giving away our existence to humans had been enacted for a very good reason and while our way of life was tolerated by them I knew we were under observation from time to time to ensure we upheld all the laws since we lived in such close quarters with humans. Aro knew I would never deliberately do anything to endanger our kind however he was not quite so convinced by some of my family. He felt Alice was a little too cavalier in her attitude and Edward so arrogant at times that he thought himself above any laws although I had vouched for both of them. I suppose we all become complacent over time, even me, which is why it came as something of a shock to learn that despite all my care I had failed to protect my family sufficiently well.

It had taken only one small problem for everything to unravel and now I sat here contemplating the wreckage that had been my life, my family, the only things that meant anything to me and I had no idea what to do for the best. My conscience pulled me in one direction but my love for my family was stronger, much stronger, and I knew when it came down to it I was no better than any other being, human or vampire. I would fight for what mattered most to me whatever the cost to others.

There was only one solution to my problem that would save my family and loathe as I was to make use of an old friend whose gift I had found both worrying and distasteful I would do so and learn to live with the consequences whatever they might be. With a heavy heart, I picked up the phone and dialed William's number wondering if he would even agree to speak to me, let alone help, under the circumstances.

As the phone rang my mind went back to that revealing conversation with Alice earlier in the day. I had been in my office at the clinic getting ready for my afternoon appointments when Jenny my secretary rang through to tell me that my daughter was here and needed to speak to me urgently. This was most unusual and when the door opened and I saw Alice looked stricken, so different from her usual cheerful and sunny self I stood up holding out my hands to comfort her. It was a sign of how upset she was that she flew into my embrace hugging me like a drowning man clutching a lifebelt.

I persuaded her to sit down and try to calm herself knowing in my heart that it must be something terrible to put her in this state and wondering if perhaps my old friend Aro had finally been persuaded to act against me. I was no threat to him or the Volturi but I had half expected that one day he or Caius would see me as the last remaining threat to their absolute mastery of our world. As a critic of the Volturi's attitude to dissenters I'd once had to work hard to prevent others seeing me as a rallying point for rebellion but finally word got around that all I wanted was a quiet life away from intrigue and war and that, along with vocal backing for the Volturi laws had saved me from suspicion, thus far at least.

So, when Alice pulled herself together, sat down and began to speak I was shocked to realize I had it all wrong, this had nothing to do with the Volturi. This was something else entirely, something much more difficult and worrying.

"Carlisle, the family is doomed and I can't see a way out. I tried so hard, I don't want to harm anyone but I don't see how else to keep my family together and I can't survive alone, not again."

Her voice broke but she pulled herself together with a mighty effort and continued before I could interrupt.

"You know I like Bella, I even thought she was good for Edward and I guess I still think so but it's just not going to happen. I can't see her, or her future, she prevents me somehow, the same way she prevents Edward from reading her mind and it's only since she went to visit her mom in Florida that I've been able to see glimpses of the future. Not hers, still not hers, but ours and it terrified me. I need your help, your clear sightedness, you have to find a way to save us, Carlisle, because I can't."

I had leaned against the edge of my desk so I could put a comforting arm on her shoulder and as she began to tremble with emotion I squeezed gently and spoke as quietly and calmly as I could.

"Alice, you aren't making any sense, what have you seen? How is Bella a threat to us? Surely if that were the case you would have seen something before we met her? Edward seems smitten and has so far found it possible to control his thirst. I had great hopes she might be the one for him, the one to fill the void in his life although both Esme and I understand that is highly unlikely."

She shook her head a bitter laugh escaping from her lips,

"If only….no. I don't know why she is so dangerous only that if the family continues on its present course….well…"

She trailed off, her eyes staring sightlessly as she thought about something but then she shook her head.

"All I can tell you is that if Bella Swan remains in our lives, in Edward's life, then it will destroy the family. She will rip us apart without even understanding how or why."

This didn't sound like the Bella I knew, she was genuinely very fond of Edward and friendly towards the family.

"How Alice? Bella would never harm us, how could she?"

"Not intentionally perhaps, no, but that doesn't make the future any less bleak. I know you can find a way to stop her Carlisle, you have to. We need to leave and forget she exists as quickly as we can."

"Leave Forks? Well, I guess that could be accomplished but what do I tell Edward and the others? Besides, leaving is one thing but forgetting? Well, that's something else entirely."

I listened without interrupting as she laid out what she could tell from her visions and persuaded me that she was right, there was no other way if I were to keep my family together and nothing mattered to me more.

"All I know for sure is that if Bella and Edward continue on their present path she will find out what we are and the Volturi will hear of it. The rest is so muddled and horrific so you see Carlisle, as head of the family you are the only one who can do this. Edward will listen to you and so will the others."

I leaned back sighing as I glanced out the window at the rain lashed lawn that fronted the clinic.

"Are you sure Alice? You couldn't be mistaken?"

She shook her head ruefully,

"I wish I were but it's what I saw and then only for an instant but I know it's the truth unless you change things. It's your decision Carlisle but what I saw will come to pass unless we can stop it. The family will be in terrible danger, and even if we scatter none of us can survive alone, without you."

She smiled then and I saw the young girl who lit up all our lives with her vitality.

"We will always need you Carlisle, you and Esme. You are the glue that holds us together."

After a long pause, I nodded.

"Thank you, Alice, I need time to think, I can't just act so precipitously. I must find a way to do this without hurting anyone."

"I know how you feel but please don't take too long. I have no idea how much time we have and once Bella returns I shall be blind again and things could change in a heartbeat."

She saw the spark of hope in my eyes and grimaced shaking her head

"I only meant things could get worse more quickly than I anticipate."

After she left I thought of nothing else, even canceling my last clinic and calling in a favor from a colleague to check on my few urgent patients. I had told Jenny to hold any calls including any family ones, I didn't want to be interrupted as I made what was possibly the most important decision I would ever make for myself and my family.

I was brought back to the present by my old friend's familiar voice as he eventually answered his phone.

"Carlisle Cullen as I live and breathe….well metaphorically speaking at least. I didn't expect to hear from you again. What's the matter?"

His tone was cold but not overtly hostile which gave me hope.

"I have a serious problem William and I am about to ask you a huge favor, one I have no right to ask after the things I said to you."

There was a momentary hesitation and then I heard him laugh,

"Wow! That must have taken some guts but then you were never a coward Carlisle and I know if you are speaking to me and asking what I think you are then you must have a very good reason for doing so."

"I do, the survival of my family depends on it and you know I would do anything to keep them safe."

"Yes, you would, even swallow your pride and call me. What do you need?"

And there it was, a friendship as old as time that had withstood my own criticism and condemnation and in doing so made me feel very humble.

William listened in silence as I explained what I needed from him, the only hint of emotion a small hiss when I mentioned the number of people involved.

"I see. You do know that I have never used my gift on so many at one time? And that what you are asking of me is, in essence, a betrayal of those you love? Is there no other way forward, Carlisle? Deceit, manipulation, and lies never did lay easily on your conscience."

"I know, but I can see no other way to keep everyone that I love safe William. Can you do it?"

He hesitated and I thought even then that he might refuse.

"I must ask you one question first, is this girl Edward's mate? I mean is there any chance that he might be?"

"No, I would have sensed it by now and Alice would have seen. I think he is just intrigued by her and drawn by the scent of her blood, no more,"

"Very well then, I can, although with so many there is always a chance someone will remember something, someone who has feelings for the girl, enough to make them deeply unhappy perhaps. That's why I asked about Edward. Are you willing to risk that?"

"Yes, I am and I need you to act as quickly as possible, preferably while the girl and Edward are apart, it will be easier that way. How long do you need?"

"As you say the quicker I act the easier it will be for you. As I do not know the girl and she is human, she will be the most challenging. If you remove the family from the area before she returns then I can ensure it will be done quickly. You didn't mention yourself Carlisle, am I to work on you too?"

I hesitated but if this were to work then best it worked for all of us.

"It is permanent?"

"Yes, as I say unless there is someone with deep feelings for the girl."

"Then yes, me too William and please promise me that even if I remember something you will never tell me what I asked you to do….ever."

"A promise once made will never be broken, remember that Carlisle."

"I know."

"Then I promise but I must tell you that I never expected you to become a client, you were always so critical of my gift. At least now you understand how sometimes it is the best or only option."

His final words were almost inaudible and I knew he was uncomfortable but I also knew he wouldn't let me down.

I finally left the clinic after ringing Edward and asking him to come home straight away. I knew while Bella was away he spent a lot of time alone waiting for her return but I needed him where I could see him along with the rest of the family. I had to act fast, Bella was due home in a couple of days and as soon as William's gift began to take effect I would act.

He was puzzled but as expected he agreed and as I put the phone down I asked his forgiveness silently along with that of the other precious members of my family. I knew William would handle this in his own way, he could be trusted to work things out in a way that would explain everything satisfactorily, his gift was not only powerful but extremely versatile and he was a master at what he did. It was the main reason he was still alive and free centuries after making it to the top of the Volturi's most wanted list.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

 **Charlie**

Well, it was a complete mystery to me but I wasn't complaining. The Cullens had left while Bella was still in Florida with Renee and I feared her reaction when she discovered this on her return after all she and Edward had been like two peas in a pod for a while now. The Cullen family leaving had been as mysterious as it was precipitous, they were here one day and gone the next with little or no explanation except a vague mention of family problems. Luckily old Doc Gordon stepped in to fill the void until a new doctor could be hired or the clinic would have been in a real mess.

Bella had been acting strange ever since she first met the Cullens, especially Edward, and I found myself going off Carlisle's son rapidly as he began to monopolize my daughter's time. I understood he was young, good looking, and intelligent but he had a way of dominating Bella that made me extremely uneasy so when Renee invited Bella down for her birthday I was relieved that the invitation did not include her boyfriend. I thought some time apart would be a good thing although I was slightly surprised Edward didn't push the issue. I was prepared for words on the subject but it seemed he was going on a hiking holiday with his brothers while she was away.

When she got back and found Edward was gone, leaving her no explanation I had expected tears at the very least and a full blown depressive attack more likely and of course she was devastated at first. But after a week or so moping about I was relieved to find she didn't seem to mind so much. She wasn't even particularly bothered that Alice, one of her best friends, had also upped and left without a word of explanation or apology. How Bella had gotten over all this so quickly I couldn't fathom but I wasn't looking a gift horse in the mouth. I was just relieved that she shrugged it all off as if they hadn't really mattered that much. Something had changed Bella drastically, to my mind for the better, and Renee agreed. She had called me while Bella was on her way home to tell me she didn't like the sound of Edward Cullen,

"I think he has too much influence over Bella, she seems to be in awe of him."

So. when she heard the news she almost shouted her relief and made me promise to keep her informed if there was any communication from Edward or his sister and although I didn't think that was likely I agreed.

 **Bella**

I knew my dad was worried about me, about the way Edward and the rest of the Cullens had left with no goodbyes or explanations but something changed during my visit to Renee. It was as if while we were apart I began to see my life without him as if having some distance between us put things in perspective and I began to realize that I didn't feel as deeply for him as I had thought I did. When Charlie told me they had gone without a word of explanation I felt oddly relieved. I didn't even miss Alice's company, I still had plenty of friends most of whom were relieved to see the back of the Cullens. I had been alone in finding them interesting, most of my friends had just felt uneasy in their presence.

There had been something a little odd about them I guess but I couldn't really remember what it was, just that my life was less complicated without Edward in it. Jake had tried to bring the subject of the Cullens up a couple of times but I soon made him aware that I wasn't interested and he accepted that, in fact, he seemed very happy by my attitude even when he discovered I had no intention of swapping Edward for him.

I was happy to be back in Forks, back in my uncomplicated life among my friends and looking forward to a new and exciting future which didn't include any serious relationships. I could now concentrate on my studies aiming high and when I graduated it was top of my year which had Charlie beaming with pride and me relieved as it meant I could to the college I had set my heart on and study the subject I had become fascinated by.

I know Charlie was upset when he discovered I was planning on going to the University of Southern California to study folklore.

"Why so far away Bells? And what the heck is folklore? I thought you were thinking about teaching or working in a library, what changed?."

"I changed my mind, I decided folklore was fascinating, all those strange beings and creatures that were invented over the centuries to frighten the young and teach our ancestors and their children ways to keep safe in a dangerous and unpredictable world."

He stared at me as if I were speaking in a strange language then coughed,

"Right, well I guess it's your life, your choice. Have you told your mother yet?"

I nodded pulling a face which made him smile,

"She wasn't impressed either I take it? Funn that, I would have thought beasties and ghouls would have been right up her street."

"She was a hippy dad, that doesn't mean she hunted ghosts or tracked Big Foot."

I was sure there was something driving my fascination, something buried deep in my subconscious but however hard I tried I just couldn't force it to the surface. All I knew was that there had to be sensible solutions to all the myths and legends if we could only dig deep enough and that was my burning ambition, to explain the rationale behind the fantastic.

I loved my courses and found I was good at getting people to speak to me and at finding deep buried documents and artwork that depicted the monsters and creatures spoken of in folk tales and legends. My best sources of information at the start were the Native American tribes with their long tradition of oral history although their "monsters" were mainly nature based, snakes, birds, and animals. I used the traditional tales of the Quileutes for my first paper as I knew them so well and had access to the elders for their thoughts on the origins of the spirit warriors and the Cold Ones. For rational people who lived in the 21st century, they seemed only too willing to believe that these fantastic creatures had and still did exist, although they were unwilling, or more likely unable, to give me any proof. I found this was true a lot of the time, people who were willing to accept medical advances and technology while still believing that the monsters of legend really existed without being able or even thinking it necessary to prove it.

Of course Jake laughed at the idea of me studying folklore at first but when he understood how serious I was he became horrified and tried to talk me out of it.

"Bella, supernatural creatures like big foot and the chupacabra don't exist, why don't you choose something more believable."

"Of course they don't exist, Jake, any more than your cold ones or spirit warriors do, I've been telling Sue and Billy that for years, none of these creatures really exist they are just ways of attempting to explain the unexplainable and there is such a rich tradition of creature tales all over the world, it's fascinating."

"Some of those tales are spoken of by people who believe in them and they are dangerous Bella."

"Who Jake? The creatures or the people?"

This argument came up every time I visited Forks as if Jake could change my mind just by repeating the same thing over and over and when I finished college and started writing magazine articles about my research for a living he was even more vociferous with his warnings.

"I can take care of myself, I'm a big girl now Jake so stop worrying about me and anyway, I won't be traveling alone, I'll have an assistant with me."

"Going where? You never said you were going to be traveling, I thought your work was here in the States."

"Well, I can hardly write about the supernatural world without traveling to other countries now can I? There are creatures out there too Jake or do you still believe the world is flat and if I sail away I'll fall off the edge? Actually, didn't map makers print "HERE BE DRAGONS" on the edges? I might even see some."

"You shouldn't take the mickey out of me Bella and just because you don't believe in something doesn't mean that it doesn't exist."

I rolled my eyes, he was beginning to sound a little unhinged himself!

He wasn't happy but then Jake rarely was these days, he was a different guy since Harry died and Leah disappeared. No one spoke of Harry's daughter, it was as if she had been banished from their minds, like she never existed or at least she had done something so terrible no one would utter her name yet no one was willing to explain, not to me and not even to my dad, it was very odd.

I threw myself into my research traveling as much as I could, so much in fact that I splashed out on an old camper van which after a couple of hundred dollars worth of work on the body looked as good as new. My research assistant Sally had accompanied me from reservation to reservation talking to the elders and anyone else who would speak to us and writing up notes in the evening over a supper cooked on a camp stove if we hadn't been invited to stay for dinner which to be fair wasn't often.

As we sat discussing what the focus of our research was to be this time camped out on our way back from a visit to the reservations of North Dakota she surprised me.

"You know so many of these legends mention blood drinkers in some form or another, it's like…...well, how did they all come across the same idea if there wasn't anything real for them to get the idea from?"

I grinned,

"Don't tell me you believe in vampires now, Sally"

She shrugged, her long bright red dyed hair shining weirdly in the light of the camp fire,

"I don't know, it just seems too much of a coincidence."

"Do you still want to go to Europe with me? Or are you scared you might catch the eye of a real vampire?"

"Oh, I want to go but don't worry, I always wear a crucifix and I love garlic, any vampire getting near me is gonna get a surprise. I did think about carrying some holy water but I guess that might be just a little OTT. What do you think?"

I nodded,

"Yeah, I think so, but you know those things only work on vampires from stories, Bram Stoker, and movies."

She frowned,

"I hadn't thought about that, let's just hope any we meet have read the book and watched Nosferatu or Interview with a vampire, then."

"Or maybe they'll be fans of Buffy the vampire hunter."

She groaned, we both hated that film, Rutger Hauer's portrayal of a vampire was truly awful.

"Hey Bella, if you could only have one weapon on you to use against a vampire what would it be?"

"A flame thrower."

I had said it quite flippantly but something told me I was right, none of the other things would work, they, like the vampire itself were pure myth.

"Right, barbecued vamp, nice. So where are we going first?"

I smiled tapping the map of Europe I had spread out between us.

"It has to be Romania, I found a reference in a medieval text about a castle that was reputed to once being the home of some very powerful vampires and no, I don't mean Count Dracula, these were ancient even when that story was written so it might be nice to hunt down the truth behind the myth. These two even had names, Vladimir and Stefan."

"OK, I can dig Vladimir, not an unusual name for a vamp but Stefan? That's a new one on me. What's the background story?"

I handed her my note book as I continued,

"Here, you can read it for yourself, it seems they were once kings of their kind but then they were overthrown and sent into exile where they still linger awaiting a chance to win back their kingdom."

"Vamps have Kings too? Wow! And who are the ones who kicked them out?"

"The story didn't name them but it said there were three brothers or maybe comrades, the translation wasn't exact. Legend says they created a new palace to rule the vampire world from, somewhere in Italy."

"So I guess Italy will be on our itinerary too? Do we know where? Hey, how about the catacombs in Rome, that would be creepy."

"No idea, but I have a copy of the text so we can work on it when we get time."

"Cool. Hey, I found a good story while I was doing some research on vampires in Italy. There's a town that's supposed to be the safest place to live on the planet from vampires.I already have a place picked out for when the vampire apocalypse comes."

"Oh? Why? Don't tell me, it's full of churches? Or do they grow garlic there?"

She grinned,

"Not quite. Apparently, it was overrun by vampires at one time and then this cool dude Marcus kicked them all out or killed them, the stories differ a bit there but anyway, the people of the town venerated him and he was eventually sainted or whatever you call it. How about that for a kick ass story? St Marcus the vampire slayer and not a cute little college girl in sight. The people of this town, Volterra, still celebrate it on 19th March each year."

"What did you say the place was called? Volterra? Well, maybe we could add it to our itinerary."

"It's in Tuscany so even if we don't find any vamps we can still sample the wine."

"Now that sounds like a plan, but for now I'm shattered."

I climbed into my sleeping bag in the back of the van and was asleep in minutes but I dreamed, something I rarely did, of black cloaked vampires with red glowing eyes chasing figures, humans I thought at first, but then one turned and I could see bright golden eyes in a pale face. It was weird and I woke up in a cold sweat to see Sally still seated by the camp fire reading my notes by its flickering light.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

 **Carlisle**

Something had happened to my family, something insidious that I couldn't put my finger on. We had always been close, had done things together as a family and lived almost as a human family did but now everything was different although it was difficult to pinpoint just what. We had a beautiful house in the suburbs of Boston and I had a position at a private clinic that treated the mentally ill, a new venture for me and one I was enjoying. Esme had started up an interior design business with Rosalie and Alice which was doing spectacularly well, Edward had begun to teach the piano to gifted children, a new venture for him too, and one I still had reservations about as he wasn't the most patient of people but he seemed to be doing well enough. Emmett had finally turned his expertise in computing to good use writing programs for new games from home and testing others. We had lost only one member of our family, Jasper, but it felt like more as if we were each somewhat removed from the others.

Alice had done everything in her power to keep Jasper here knowing how important it was for him to stay among our kind, the animal hunters, but he hadn't settled after we left Forks. For a while, I tried talking to him, attempting to get to the bottom of his feelings of unrest but to no avail. He couldn't explain why he couldn't stay, just that he felt restless and needed to be doing something. Esme and I were both concerned that he might return to Mexico even though we didn't think he would go back to Maria and were very relieved when he moved in with his old friends Peter and Charlotte Whitlock.

 **Jasper**

The past eighteen months had been a nightmare for me and I had no idea why. Moving from Forks had seemed a good idea at the time, Carlisle got a better job offer and there was little to keep us there. Edward didn't seem terribly worried about his human girlfriend but then he had kept her away from the family most of the time, not wanting her to pick up that there was anything different about us, so I guess he hadn't been as serious about her as he had seemed at first.

Boston was OK, there was plenty of history to the place which kept me interested for a while but then I found I was becoming unsettled and couldn't work out why. It was almost as if I found myself drifting away from the family and Alice in particular. Like Edward, I found the feelings I had once felt for Alice had been ephemeral and they were slipping away day by day until I found myself regarding her more as a sister than anything more but it seemed I was not alone in feeling this, Alice admitted, when I told her, that she herself had felt the same way and so we were able to part as friends.

I also found the others irritating, Emmett's boyish enthusiasm, Rosalie's constant paranoia, Esme's insistence of treating us like teenagers and Edwards arrogance which I had once been able to ignore now grated on my nerves. Whatever had caused these changes they made it impossible for me to remain with the Cullens any longer so I made the decision to move back in with Peter and Charlotte.

They were only too pleased to welcome me back and for a while, the restlessness died away and I was able to relax and enjoy life once again but it didn't last and as I couldn't find the right words to explain why to Peter we ended up arguing.

"I just don't get it, Major, there's something fucking weird going on. You haven't been yourself for weeks."

"Maybe if you got off my back I would be Peter, ever thought of that?"

"Maybe if you stopped acting like a horses ass I would get off your back but all you do is mope around, take exception to everything I say and bite Charlotte's head off if she so much as looks the wrong way."

I opened my mouth to answer him then stopped as I realized my fists were clenched and I was only seconds away from attacking. He was right, there was something very wrong with me and it wasn't his fault but I couldn't find the words to explain, I needed to get the hell off the ranch, away from him, and cool down so I just turned and stalked off. By the time I returned we had both cooled down and life went back to normal for a while. No, that was a lie, things were never normal after that. We circled each other warily like two bears with thorns in our paws ready to flare up at the first word out of place. Charlotte did her best to defuse the situation but nothing she said made me feel any better, in fact, I felt myself becoming more tense and bad tempered day by day. The atmosphere became so tense that I found myself making excuses to stay away for weeks at a time although all I did on those occasions was to wander aimlessly which didn't help my frame of mind or my temper.

The arrival, quite out of the blue, of an invitation from the Volturi to join the guard, therefore, was a blessing in disguise, it gave me something else to think about. Perhaps what I was missing was a sense of purpose, after all, it had been many years since I found myself doing anything productive. My strengths were not the kind that found much use in a family setting but if I were to join the Volturi I would once again have that sense of purpose. Unlike my friends I didn't see the Volturi as a force for evil in our world, as Carlisle had explained to me once it was only because of their strength, their strict adherence to the laws they had made that we as a species were able to live in the same world as the humans without war. So, being a part of the guard that ensured those laws were upheld by our kind made sense to me. But I wasn't going to make any decisions in a hurry, I would think about it for a while before giving my reply to the Volturi.

 **Carlisle**

I suppose I thought that might be the end of the matter after all Jasper had always gotten along very well with Peter and Charlotte, they were his oldest and best friends but I was wrong. It didn't take long for the restlessness to return and the next thing I heard was that he was considering a position in the Volturi guard. It was Aro himself who informed me of this because he wanted me to back him in his attempt to recruit The Major.

"A word from you would be much appreciated, old friend."

"I'm really not comfortable with the idea of Jasper becoming involved with the military again, Aro."

"Nonsense Carlisle, the guard is not the military. They rarely leave Volterra and are more a police force if you want to make comparisons with the human world. Surely even you agree that we need laws and a way of upholding them. After all, you were very keen on a strong policing policy when you lived here if memory serves me right."

"True, I do agree but I'm just not sure it would be right for Jasper, he's seen enough violence to last any man a lifetime. He is perhaps better suited to a quieter life these days."

"I doubt you really think that Carlisle, after all, if he was looking for peace and quiet wouldn't he have remained with you? I hardly think he will find much of either with the Whitlocks. To be honest Carlisle quite apart from his skills making him admirably suited to the guard there is also another reason for the invitation. My brothers are frankly concerned about him. The Major has a rather singular reputation and they worry that he may become a problem left to his own devices. I have pointed out that is highly unlikely but I would hate for them to push me into a corner where the only possible alternative would be…...well, I'm sure you understand. So, you see, it would be in everyone's best interests were he to agree to work for us."

I did understand, I knew only too well that Caius had always been uneasy with a warrior such as The Major living free in the world, he didn't trust Jasper and he wouldn't hesitate to push for his execution if the alternative was a possible threat to the Volturi.

"I can't bring any pressure to bear Aro, Jasper no longer lives with us but I will speak to him about his choices, if he is willing to speak with me that is, we don't hear from him often these days."

"I see. It's a pity he and dear little Alice parted, the two of them together would have made a powerful force for good here in Volterra. I take it there is no chance that she too is unsettled and looking for a new start in life?"

"No, she isn't Aro. Alice is quite happy here with us."

He laughed softly at my abrupt answer,

"There is no need to sound so defensive Carlisle, I was only enquiring. Well, hopefully, the next time we speak I shall have good news for you."

Esme was horrified when I told her the subject of my conversation with Aro.

"Carlisle, we can't allow Aro to force Jasper into the guard. After all he has been through the last thing he needs is to be living in an atmosphere of suspicion and violence."

I shook my head, Esme was blinkered when it came to the Volturi, suspicion would not allow her to see anything good in my old friends, but I had to try.

"The guard is the Volturi police force Esme, not a howling mob out to wreak havoc."

"So you say but they make me extremely nervous and I don't trust Aro Volturi an inch. Why don't we ask Alice what she thinks? She may have seen something. I just wish I knew what had changed, why he was so unhappy here all of a sudden."

"It was hardly sudden my dear, Jasper had been unsettled for some time but something seems to have affected us all. Perhaps it's time for us to go our separate ways for a while. We have been a family for a very long time and that can become wearing."

Esme looked at me in horror, as if I had just made some shocking pass at her, then shook her head looking at me stubbornly. She was adamant that the family needed to stay together to give it's individual members strength and a feeling of belonging.

"It's all Rose, Emmett, Alice, and Edward know Carlisle, would you cast them all adrift?"

I could have pointed out that her statement was not quite true, Rose and Emmett had left for years at a time in the past and succeeded quite admirably on their own. Admittedly the same could not be said of Edward who had left only once and returned after being unable to make a go of it alone. Even Alice had lived for decades on her own and survived, but I didn't. Esme loved all our children and considered them her own, what would be the point in upsetting her further now?

We found Alice in her room reading, something she had never been that fond of before unless there were color fashion plates attached! She smiled up at us as we entered then seeing Esme's expression became serious.

"Oh dear, such long faces, what's the matter?"

I explained my conversation with Aro and Esme's concerns,

"I wanted to ask you if you'd seen anything, Alice? You know Jasper best of all, what do you think of this idea?"

She put her book down very deliberately and sighed,

"Well, I haven't actually seen anything Esme so I guess it won't affect the rest of us but I don't think that's what you were getting at is it? I can only give you my personal opinion and I think just maybe it will give Jazz somewhere he can feel at home."

She saw the hurt look on Esme's face and continued hurriedly,

"I know you abhor violence and war Esme but it's all Jazz knows. Remember he joined the Confederate army when he was just a boy and after that, he served in Maria's army so maybe joining the Volturi guard will give him a sense of belonging."

Esme was on the offensive and snapped out her next question.

"Doesn't it bother you that he will be expected to kill again?"

"More to the point, will it bother him? After all, those he is expected to kill will be lawbreakers, he'd be fighting for something he can believe in."

I nodded seeing her point of view, she did know him best and what he knew was keeping the peace, however that had to be accomplished.

I put an arm around Esme's stiff shoulders and guided her gently back downstairs,

"I think we must leave it to Jasper to decide what is best for him, Esme."

She knew that tone of voice, I rarely used it but when I did it meant that the subject was closed. I was more concerned with keeping the rest of the family from fracturing, even if Esme didn't feel the strain within the family I did and it worried me.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

 **Jasper**

I suppose I should have expected to hear some opposition when I told my friends about the offer from the Volturi after all neither of them was fans of the Volturi and Peter at least thought he knew better than me.

"You must be outta your fuckin' mind Major. Work for the Volturi? Didn't you have enough shit when you were tied up with Maria? Aro fuckin' Volturi and his brothers are just male versions of her. You'll get all the shit jobs with none of the bedroom perks."

That was going just too far, even taking into consideration our long friendship, and I told him so.

"Back off Peter now, while you still can."

"Hey, don't threaten me, Major, I'm not scared of you. Someone has to tell you when you are puttin' your neck in a noose."

I turned to walk away holding my temper in check only barely but he grabbed me by the arm and swung me back to face him.

"Walkin' away ain't gonna make any difference to the fact you are making one huge fuckin' mistake here."

I jerked free of his grip and spoke through gritted teeth,

"Enough, this is my decision, not yours. You have everything you need here. I need something as well Peter, I need to feel alive again, I need to put my skills to some use, now back off and leave me alone."

I know he wouldn't have stopped even then but Charlotte appeared and took his arm shaking her head in a warning which was just as well because I don't know how much longer I could have held my temper.

I disappeared for a few days hunting in the mountains and thinking but my decision was already made, I didn't belong here or with the Cullens but I could carve a niche for myself in the Volturi and there at least my skills would be put to good use. I thought the arguing was over but when I returned to the ranch to collect my stuff I found to my surprise that Esme was waiting for me. I could feel myself tense up as she approached smiling watched by Peter from the kitchen window but in all fairness, she didn't condemn me or argue about my decision in front of the others. Instead, she asked me to go for a walk with her and while we were out she tried to explain how, in her opinion, it would be the wrong decision for me. I knew she was concerned that the atmosphere in Volterra might be a bad influence on me and I tried to allay her fears but I think as we returned to the ranch she understood that her journey had been a waste of time except to convince me that accepting the Volturi invitation was the best route for me.

 **Carlisle**

I suppose I should have known Esme would contact Jasper but for once she had an ally in the Whitlocks, both of whom had been horrified when they learned of his decision to join the guard. She even drove to Boulder to speak to him without my knowledge but came home defeated. Jasper had told her he was doing what seemed right to him and he hoped it would give him some peace of mind.

"He didn't look right Carlisle as if he carried a heavy burden although he said he had no idea why he felt the way he did. It's like the unsettled feeling we have all experienced the last year or two but magnified in his case. I don't like it, it's like something has been stolen from us."

Now she was becoming overly dramatic!

"Now Esme, I think you're being a little dramatic. All families go through tough times and we're no exception, there's nothing strange about it. We just hit a rough patch but things are looking up now and everyone else is content living here with us."

She didn't look convinced and I have to admit, even as I said the words they sounded hollow in my ears but what else could I say. It was ridiculous to suggest that something outside the family had caused the unsettled feeling. There was no evil warlock out there waving a magic wand or cursing us. If I wasn't careful she would make matters worse with her wild accusations, we would all become as paranoid as she was.

 **Esme**

I hadn't told Carlisle because it wouldn't have made any difference but Peter and Charlotte felt there was something terribly wrong and even listened as I told them my theory that some outside influence had been at work on the family.

"Well, The Major certainly isn't himself Esme, he's got us really worried. I mean he's always been quiet and reserved, never aggressive but these days..."

Peter laughed and his tone made me shiver,

"What my wife is too polite to say is that these days he's like a bull with a thorn up its ass. You can't say anything without him jumping down your throat. If I didn't know better I'd say that's not our friend but a badly programmed replica."

Charlotte reluctantly nodded agreed with her husband,

"Are you sure something didn't happen Esme? I mean I know he's been unhappy from time to time, feeling he doesn't fit in anywhere but to consider joining the Volturi! That's extreme even for him"

"I know but I blame Carlisle, at least partly. He will insist that the Volturi have only our welfare at heart. Have you tried talking Jasper out of this notion?"

"Until we're blue in the face but with little success, in fact, it almost blew up into a full-scale war so we had to back off in the end. I'm sorry Esme but I think his mind is made up."

Charlotte was right because only a week after I returned and was lectured by my dear husband she rang to tell me that Jasper had packed all his things and set off for Italy.

I waited until everyone was at home before breaking the bad news but I could see Carlisle already knew so I guessed Aro had rung with the good news, and Alice didn't look surprised either so maybe she had finally seen something. To my relief, I found that Rose and Emmett were as appalled as me. Rose put a hand to her mouth in shock while Emmett blurted out,

"He can't do that, why would he put himself under Aro's control, Esme? Are we too late to stop him? Maybe if I spoke to him or you, Carlisle?"

Carlisle sighed at Emmett's words,

"Please let's not blow this out of all proportion. Aro is not a dictator he is just one of three who controls our world and all three are just doing their best to keep our kind safe. Jasper will be under no one's control, he will follow orders true but it's not going to be like Mexico where he is ordered to slaughter innocent humans or kill indiscriminately. If this is what he believes will serve him best then we must accept that decision but also reassure him that there will always be a place in the family for him whenever he wants to return, if he wants to return. Personally, I think he could be a force for good, he's got his head screwed on and he understands tactics and command. Who knows, he might rise high in the Volturi."

 **Carlisle**

Only Edward seemed convinced by my words but I hoped the others would come around once they understood that Jasper was not going to return to the kind of behavior that had been expected of him and encouraged by Maria.

There was an awkward silence as glances were exchanged and then Alice spoke up.

"Personally, I think he'll be very happy in Volterra."

All eyes turned to her,

"What did you see Alice?"

She smiled at Esme encouragingly,

"It's more of a feeling than a vision, I think it's where he'll feel at home, in the military, or the police force, or whatever you choose to call it and as he went willingly there isn't any need to worry that Aro will use one of his gifts to keep Jasper there. Who knows he might even bump into his mate in Italy, that would be wonderful for him. Perhaps you should all just wait and see if you find you can't wish him all the best."

Esme's concerned expression eased a little, she enjoyed a good love story and the thought that Jasper might find his one true love in Volterra was something she could hold on to but Emmett and Rosalie were less convinced and I suspected nothing would change the way they felt about their brother's choice or about the Volturi.

It was a relief not to have to worry so much about my wife because it gave me time to worry about the rest of the family. I had walked in on a terrible row between Rosalie and Emmett in the garage a few days ago and when I had finally quietened them both down and asked what it was all about they had no sensible answer for me. It sounded as if a lot of little niggles had blown up into a terrible scene. Thinking back I couldn't remember the last time I had heard raised voices between those two, they were devoted to each other. This strange atmosphere was poisoning us all, I had to admit to feeling like shouting at Esme and Edward recently but when I examined the reasons behind my feelings of anger and frustration I could come up with nothing that wasn't petty and downright stupid. If things didn't settle down soon I might have to call Aro and see if he could shine any light on the problem, if anyone understood the interactions between vampires and the problems that may arise it would be Aro or possibly Marcus Volturi. I sincerely hoped it wouldn't come to that, I hated to admit to a problem I could not solve but to keep my family from shattering into its component parts I was prepared to do just that.

A month later I rang Aro on the pretense of checking on how Jasper was settling in and as always my friend was delighted to hear from me and only too eager to tell me all the news. We caught up on news of mutual friends first and I was sad to hear that an old friend Jacques had been killed by a nomad who thought he was trying to move in on an area he claimed for himself.

"Of course this cannot be allowed to go on. Killing randomly is dangerous and I sent The Major out on his first assignment with orders to bring the accused back to Volterra for trial. So you see, your friend is settling in well and is very popular with the other guards who had heard of his reputation as a commander and were happy to find this was not exaggerated. Is poor Esme still concerned about him?"

I wasn't surprised to find that Aro was aware of Esme's concerns, it was almost impossible to keep anything from the Volturi leader and of course, he would have greeted Jasper on his arrival and seen the meeting between the two. I was just glad that the problems between the other members of our family had only manifest since Jasper left. I would hate for anyone to know the seriousness of my worries.

When I explained to Esme that I had news of Jasper she hardly seemed interested,

"Don't you want to know how Jasper is faring in Volterra?"

She snorted,

"Not if the source of your news is Aro, no. That man wouldn't know the truth if it bit him on the ass Carlisle."

I rolled my eyes feeling my frustration growing once more,

"I think I'll get changed and go for a run, will you join me?"

It was an olive branch and I took it thankfully, Esme was like a hydra these days and you never knew which head she would be wearing from one moment to the next but the thought of a few hours running through the countryside under the stars pleased me, we might even make love by moonlight, it seemed an age since we had shown any affectionate towards each other.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

 **Jasper**

It was actually a relief to get away from my friends and the family who all thought I was making a terrible mistake by joining the Volturi and were extremely vocal in telling me so. They had no idea how I felt and no interest in listening to my reasons for doing so. Everything had changed over the last two years and I couldn't go on as I had been. That something was wrong was apparent but not what it was. Over the past year especially I had begun to feel as if something alien had invaded my head, scratching incessantly at my brain as if trying to communicate and yet I couldn't hear it. I tried everything, ignoring it, opening my mind to allow it in, finding somewhere silent to sit and listen to it, even talking to Charlotte about it when Peter wasn't around, but she had no more idea what was going on than Alice had before her. I considered the possibility that I might be going mad but nothing changed except inside my brain. I found myself driven crazy by the feeling, I couldn't concentrate, I couldn't ignore it, and it appeared that I couldn't get rid of it.

I found myself losing my temper over the smallest things, even snapping Peter's head off if he made one of his inane remarks that normally I could have ignored. Remarks that often he bit his tongue trying to avoid uttering out loud since our altercation.I knew if I hadn't done something about this I would have exploded and someone I loved might end up dead and that's why I had seen the offer from Volterra as a lifeline.

Was it possible Aro was responsible for the feeling? I considered the idea but then dismissed it if he'd wanted me for the guard all he had to do was to set Chelsea to influence me, especially once I left the Cullens. He wouldn't have acted before, Carlisle would have been pretty mad if Aro had pulled a stunt like that while I was still living under his roof but the feeling had already been present, it was why I had chosen to leave Boston.

Besides, the offer fitted me perfectly, it was what I was good at, keeping others in line and fighting and it was not merely to join the Volturi guard but to join as a commander. The letter had explained that the Volturi found it needed more experienced groups to enforce the law as there were more nomads at large and they were, therefore, setting up two separate groups, one under Santiago, the other under me if I accepted and both of us would be under the immediate control of Felix. I didn't have a problem with that, I knew enough about the Volturi's main enforcer to be sure that he would be acceptable as a commanding officer and I doubted he would interfere so long as the job got done. To my mind nomads who broke the law were no different to the Union Army who had forcibly taken over my home, an enemy was an enemy.

I left the Whitlock ranch without saying goodbye because I knew we would only argue and I didn't want my parting from my oldest and best friends to be spoiled by that. They knew I was unhappy and frustrated and eventually, they would come to accept that I had made the decision that suited me best. For the same reason I hadn't contacted Carlisle or Esme personally, instead, I wrote them a letter explaining my decision and hoping they would respect it. I just hoped that by taking this position I could finally rid myself of the feeling that had been driving me crazy and at first it seemed to work.

The brothers greeted me warmly enough, even Caius who was no fan of mine and I accepted Aro's hand, after all, I had nothing to hide and letting him see that I was comfortable accepting the position of commander proved that. I was allocated a suite in the guard's tower where other senior Volturi personnel were housed, between Santiago's and Demetri's and the next day I met the squad of guards that would be under my command. There were five of them and I admit I was relieved to see both Jane and Alec were absent, instead, I had four fighting men and Afton who could not only fight but also use his gift as an information gatherer. I knew there had been murmurings once my name became known but that didn't bother me, I was used to the wary looks and even skepticism until I proved I was as good as my reputation said I was.

Felix invited me to meet Santiago and the other gifts in his quarters that first evening and I found the other commander and I had the same mind set, we knew what our strengths were and neither of us found the other a challenge that must be met. Felix explained that under normal circumstances one group would be sent out as soon as news of any trouble reached Volterra and would be expected to solve the problem as quickly and discreetly as possible. Jane or Alec would only accompany us if it was felt their particular gift would prove valuable or necessary and Felix himself would command from the Citadel except in extreme circumstances. In short, I was the one making all decisions in the field which suited me and my style of command.

I soon found my feet in Volterra, my reputation helped to a large degree although like everywhere there was always someone who thought they were faster, tougher, and meaner than The Major until I showed them just how wrong they were. A couple of encounters were all it took for everyone to see that my reputation was deserved and the men who were put under my command seemed to revel in being a part of my group.

Of course, there would always be a certain amount of rivalry between the two groups, I think Aro set it up this way to keep us all on our toes, there's nothing like a little healthy competition to keep an army sharp.

Santiago was wise enough to know this too and while our men vied with each other for top billing we ignored such things and got along well enough. He was a tough fighter although he hadn't really been stretched for years, few of those we hunted were any opposition when we finally caught up with them, it's why they fled in the first place. My own experience was much fresher and from time to time we sparred but only when out of sight and earshot of our men, that would only have stirred them up even more and we didn't want it to become a serious fight.

Felix had, as I suspected, left us pretty much to our own devices, merely handing out assignments and after the first few my mind was at ease, we really were upholding the law and not just taking out anyone who spoke up against the Volturi or who had some personal grudge against one of the brothers.

My spare time and it transpired there was plenty of it, I spent in training my men or wandering in the archives which held historical books and parchments that had me spellbound. As a human I had missed out on most of my education, too busy helping on the farm and then going off to war and I was keen to catch up, I loved any kind of learning on any subject although the history of warfare was my first love and Marcus who it seemed spent most of his spare time here too was invaluable in pointing me to items he knew I would find interesting.

He and I talked for hours about the formation of the Volturi, how they had destroyed the Romanian power base and taken over control of our world and then how they had fought to ensure its survival by writing laws that must be upheld by every vampire. The more I witnessed and the more Marcus and I talked the more I saw the Volturi in the same light as Carlisle, as lawgivers and protectors rather than as sinister power brokers whose presence usually meant death for someone.

"Our biggest concern is the humans, Major. If they were to discover our existence then they would attempt to wipe us out and although we have many advantages over them we also have our weaknesses, we cannot expose ourselves during the day without giving away our true nature, we are vulnerable to fire and man has evolved to a point where some of their technology is dangerous to our kind. Imagine a missile hit that could shatter a vampire into a million pieces. It would be difficult to reconstruct after that kind of devastation and it would give the humans time to destroy some of the pieces permanently plus some of their weapons are thermal so not only could they blow us to pieces but they could vaporize those pieces too. This is why it is vital we keep our secret and why any humans who learn of our existence must be killed."

I understood and I didn't have a problem with killing humans, especially for such a good reason. I stubbornly stuck to my diet of animal blood much to the amusement of my men but if they had understood why I think they might have accepted it more easily. My gift was something I didn't talk about and though some of them knew of it the subject remained closed.

I found other new friends in Volterra too, Heidi, Demetri, and Athenadora to name but three. I knew Demetri was concerned when Heidi showed an interest in me but he relaxed when I made it quite plain I wasn't interested in a relationship with anyone. I couldn't explain why, not even to myself, after all, there were plenty of beautiful women in the citadel and I was single. I just felt it would be wrong, that there was someone who already owned my heart although that was crazy, surely I would know if that were true?

There were, however, those who resented my presence, Jane, and Alec for starters. I think it was rooted in a feeling that they were somehow not as important any longer because their gifts were not in such demand with two groups of enforcers to be deployed. There was also the fact that neither gift worked on me, only because my own would send Jane's back to her leaving her curled up in a screaming ball of pain and would incapacitate Alex before he could build up enough momentum to send me into limbo. It had come as something of a shock when I first demonstrated my invincibility to Jane's nasty little parlor trick, she had never been bested before and she didn't like it one little bit. I think she felt a little better when her brother had no more success than she did but both would pay watching, both had a mean streak and either would be only too happy to ambush me given the opportunity, I just made very sure I never gave it to either of them.

After a year I felt like Volterra was my home, I had settled in and saw little of the three brothers after my initial welcome which suited me. My trouble started in the second year when the strange sensation I had felt before I came here returned with a vengeance. I found myself becoming tense and short tempered although I managed to rein it in when dealing with my men and when we were out on assignment it seemed to ease off considerably so I volunteered for as many duties as possible. Felix noticed of course and called me in for a chat when I had offered to take my men to Spain to hunt down a pair of nomads who were leaving drained bodies for the human authorities to find just after returning from an assignment in Morocco.

"You seem unsettled Major, care to tell me why?"

"No, not really. I just think it's better for my men if we are kept busy."

"I see. Surely it is wise to give them some recreational time after an assignment? I overheard two of your men complaining they don't get a chance to unpack between jobs."

"Really? Then maybe they shouldn't be in my command."

"Possibly, although I think you should consider easing up a little."

"When there are no more law breakers, then I'll ease up. Until then give me an assignment and let me go."

He hesitated but I just stared at him defiantly and eventually, he nodded and handed over the sheet with the information on it.

"This is a little different, it's a human who is delving too deeply into our world. Can you handle that?"

I nodded,

"Sure, why not?"

As I walked back to my room I felt an unsettling feeling steal over me. Why? Was I worried about killing a single human? No way, I'd killed plenty before and this one threatened my world.

I read the paper Felix had handled me and nodded to myself, this guy was just asking to be taken out, he had become curious about our kind after catching sight of a nomad in a forest attacking a hunting party. The careless vampire hadn't realized, he'd been too preoccupied and as a result, the human was delving into things best left alone. This human also just happened to be a reporter on vacation so was more dangerous to us than most. Santiago's team had already headed out to bring in the vampire so we got to remove the human from the picture.

My men bitched but I ignored them and once out in the field they stopped complaining and did the job admirably leaving nothing for the authorities to ponder over. However, something about the assignment unnerved me and that fucking itching was back in my brain. Maybe I should discuss it with Marcus, I knew I could trust him to keep it to himself and if anyone knew what it might be Marcus was that someone.

Unfortunately, when I got back Marcus had already left for a visit to Rome where he had gone to pick up some new items for the archives so I would just have to wait until his return. In the meantime I kept myself busy with training exercises, something else my men bitched about but purely from habit, they actually enjoyed the mock combat scenarios I dreamed up for them and with study, something I could never get enough of.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

 **Bella**

Our trip was turning out to be extremely interesting especially as we had decided on a single subject for our research after the variety of things we had studied on our trip back home last time. Europe had a much richer tradition of vampire legends than the States and there was plenty of written evidence plus mountains of oral traditions passed down from generation to generation including ways of killing vampires which varied wildly from place to place even within the same country.

We did the vampire trail in Transylvania purely to say that we had but most of what we heard came more from Hollywood than history although there was a fair smattering of Vlad the Impaler stories too. The atmosphere was right though, the wild mountains, the sound of wolves when the moon was high and the twisting mountain roads where horses and donkeys still outnumbered motorized vehicles. I even brought my copy of Dracula with me to read and I had to admit, it was pretty creepy reading at night in a tent with the sounds of animals all around and the moon turning everything silvery in its glow. I guess I could understand why so many spooky stories took place in mountains and involved the full moon and the sound of wolves howling, the atmosphere was everything.

Every night I had the same dream, or variations on a theme, the black cloaked figures pursuing another who looked back as if towards me but all I could make out was a pale oval face with golden eyes. Sometimes there were giant wolves in the background waiting to pounce and sometimes these same wolves changed their shape and became humanoid although again I could never make out any faces and every time I would wake with a start drenched in sweat and shaking. When I could make no sense of these nightmares Sally made up her own explanation,

"I think you were really raised by wolves Bella and your purpose in a former life was to be a real life, Buffy. Maybe the wolves even helped you hunt down and kill the black cloaked vampires with the golden eyes. Hey, that would make a great story, maybe I should try my hand at writing."

"You do that, just keep me out of it."

"Oh, I would, the heroine has to have long silvery blonde hair and a face like Kristy Swanson, sorry Bella you don't fit.."

I stuck my tongue out at her although she was right of course, the heroine was always golden haired and staggeringly beautiful.

"Oh, and just so you get it right, it's the person the black cloaks ate chasing who has the golden eyes, not them."

She was no longer listening to me, she'd put her headphones on and was listening to some heavy metal music that was so loud I was amazed it didn't make her ears bleed!

Just then I had a flash of...something, maybe a memory or a daydream, no make that night dream. I saw a face, a pale face with golden eyes but it wasn't as I had thought a woman's face, this belonged to a man, a handsome man, one I almost thought I should recognize but then as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone.

Sally nudged me, she must have been speaking and I hadn't heard her,

"You OK Bella? You look like you just saw a ghost."

"Not a ghost but someone..., never mind, where are we headed next?"

She eyed me suspiciously, sure I was hiding something although I wasn't, I had no idea what I had seen before continuing.

"To the home of one of the most infamous vampires who wasn't actually even a vampire, Elizabeth Bathory."

"Right, yeah, now that's an interesting twist on vampires. I wonder why she thought the blood of young girls would keep her young?"

"Not just young, Bella, maidens, virgins."

"Yes, I know but think about it, the ancient stories about vampires were still alive and well in the 16th century. There are other vampire stories similar to hers in a way, the Inquisition was told of a demon called Izcacus which translates to blood drinker so was he one of the original vampires that all the others stemmed from?"

Sally was studying me intently now and I knew I had been wandering mentally.

"You know, anyone would think you actually believed they existed when I hear you speak sometimes Bella."

Sometimes I almost believe it myself I thought but I wasn't going to admit as such to Sally, she'd know I was full on crazy then.

We moved on to Hungary, Austria, and across the border into Czechia to the town of Celakovice near Prague which was fascinating with its 12th century burial site containing 14 bodies which had been decapitated and weighted down to prevent them from rising as vampires, We filled notebook after notebook with stories and drawings of all kinds of vampire related things and the more I heard the more I began to feel that those people I spoke to really believed what they related to us and it made me wonder at times if just maybe they could be right...but how? How could it be possible for real vampires to live in the twenty-first century?

Germany which we visited next felt like the kind of place where the undead might live, it had plenty of thick dark forests, the wolves, and of course lots of ruined hill top castles they could make their home. I guess if you really believed in vampires then the place to live would be the middle of a desert with no forests, no ruined castles, and none of the seemingly necessary wolves to howl at the full moon. Unfortunately, that wouldn't necessarily save you as I had found tales of a vampire who lived in the desert and licked the soles of your feet until they bleed, a rather charming creature called Palis. It was a Persian myth but it just went to prove nowhere was safe from the clutches of the vampire.

We had only two weeks of our trip left when we decided to visit Italy and as it just so happened to be March we planned on taking in the festival of St Marcus in the safest town on earth from vampires. We checked into a small hotel in the quaint walled city of Volterra and after dumping our gear and making use of the shower, our first in weeks, the van, and tent we had rented were OK but there was no hot running water and even I was sick of washing in lukewarm water day after day, we set out to explore.

The town was crowded already, lots of people wandering around with cameras snapping anything that moved plus everything that didn't and lots of all shapes and sizes wearing bright red robes in the saints honor. We found a vacant table at one of the restaurants that faced onto the main square and ordered food and a carafe of wine then sat to people watch.

My attention was taken by the clock tower across the square from where we sat. It was a beautiful building yet there was something that made me shiver about it. Maybe, I thought, it was where St Marcus slaughtered the vampires who once lived here although why they should choose a small hill town in Tuscany when they could have remained anonymous far more easily in any large city I couldn't fathom. It wasn't as if they even had the privacy a ruined castle would afford, in fact, they would have been living among the very people they preyed on which was just one more proof that the story was just that, a work of fiction probably dreamed up by some townsfolk who wanted to make their town special and draw in the gullible tourists.

I was halfway through my salad, the olive oil dressing was wonderful and the goat's cheese divine, when I saw movement in the doorway of the tower and stopped eating to stare at the man who stepped out into the evening air. He was the most handsome guy I had ever seen and was certainly not a local, he was too pale skinned and his long hair was a dusty blond color. He wasn't alone for long, a young woman joined him, also pale skinned but she had the same dark hair as the local girls. She was tall, almost as tall as the man, and dressed to kill. Every male head in the square turned in her direction as the two of them came down the steps and walked slowly away down one of the side streets.

"Well, that alone was worth the trip, wasn't he hot?"

I nodded absently in response to Sally's remark, he was indeed hot but that wasn't what set my hairs on end. I had seen him before, I was sure of it, but I couldn't remember where which was crazy if I'd seen that guy before surely I would have remembered.

"Bella? Bella? Earth to Bella, you're drooling, shut your mouth before you catch a fly."

I turned to her,

"Sorry? What?"

"Are you OK? You look like you've seen a ghost."

I nodded and picked up my fork that had fallen to the table,

"Yes, I just thought for a moment….oh never mind. Come on, let's eat up, I want to see the candlelight procession."

An hour later we watched as a procession carrying candles and led by two tall red robed figures carrying a plaster figure of St Marcus in a portable shrine left the church and did two circuits of the town walls before placing it gently back onto the altar in the church. Townsfolk and tourists queued up behind to lay flowers beside it or put money in a wooden bowl provided at the saint's feet.

I looked for the man from the clock tower but I didn't see him again, or the girl, and I wondered if they had just seemed so beautiful in the pretty square filled with red robed figures and fat tourists. By the time we climbed into our beds it was late and the candles that had been placed on every flat surface in the square were beginning to gutter and go out. It had been a beautiful ceremony but somehow I felt it was false, then again as vampires weren't real how could a man who supposedly banished them from the town be real either? It was all a beautiful deception and I decided to use that title for my article and maybe even a book and use a photograph of the parade in the square as my title page.

We spent the next day exploring the town and surrounding countryside and although I kept my eye out I didn't see the guy or the girl again. We ate at the same restaurant that evening and took a final stroll around the square before retiring, the next morning we were heading towards Rome where next week we would hand in our rented van and fly back home.

As I lay in bed unable to sleep I tried to conjure up the fairytale couple but when I finally managed it I saw only the guy and not as I had seen him in the square but somewhere else, in another more familiar place and wearing a winter jacket. For the life of me though, I couldn't put a name to the place, it hovered just out of reach in the dark recesses of my mind. It didn't make sense and it unsettled me so much I tossed and turned all night unable to sleep.

The next morning I felt awful, my eyes were sore from lack of sleep and my head was stuffed with cotton wool so after skipping breakfast I asked Sally to drive.

"Sure thing, are you coming down with something? You look awful."

"Thanks, Sally, that makes me feel so much better. Actually, I had a bad night, I couldn't sleep and now I have one bitch of a headache."

"That's what I get when I can't sleep. Never mind, you have a nap while I drive, these twisty European roads are much more fun than the Free ways back home."

I groaned, Sally loved to drive fast and this poor old van had the suspension from hell, I would get little rest during the drive.

She sighed as she threw her bag in the back and looked around the square for the last time.

"I always hate this part of any trip, when you know you'll soon be home again."

Deciding to get a little of my own back I pointed out that we were still a long way from home.

"Hardly that, we've got a four-hour drive to Rome then two days to see the Colosseum and the other sights not forgetting the Crypts, Catacombs, and Dark heart of Rome tour you already pre-booked. After that, we have six hours sleep before we have to get to the airport followed by a three-hour flight to Istanbul..."

"Oh God, I forgot about that, still it was cheaper flying that way."

"I haven't finished yet Sally after we land we have a nice break of five mind numbing hours at the airport there before the final leg of thirteen and a half hours."

"Oh great, thanks, Bella. Should I slash my wrists now or wait till we reach Rome?"

"Not forgetting the drive back home at the other end."

She groaned,

"I was trying to forget that. Oh well, it's been great fun and we've got lots of interesting material and that's what it was all about."

I nodded and closed my eyes falling asleep in seconds and this time. thank goodness, my sleep was dreamless.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

 **Jasper**

I hadn't wanted to go out while the festival was on there were just too many people, it was too crowded, but I had promised Heidi I would accompany her as far as Pisa on her regular fishing expedition. Either Demetri or Afton usually drove the minibus but as one was on a mission in England and the other was busy with Aro I had volunteered forgetting what date it was. As we walked down the steps of the tower I got the strangest feeling that something was wrong, that crazy itching feeling was back again and I knew I really must talk to Marcus about it as soon as he got back.

Heidi was an interesting companion and amusing with it, especially when she was away from Demetri. I wasn't quite sure what their relationship was and maybe after living so long and seeing how transient feelings could be they had decided to be very sure before taking the plunge. Either that or knowing they weren't mates they didn't want to begin something that might come between them and their true mates.

Life in Volterra could be very lonely even though you lived among so many others in the citadel. It suited me, I'd always been a loner but for someone who only really came alive when surrounded by others such as Heidi, it must be frustrating at times. Maybe that was why she enjoyed her fishing excursions so much. She was the centre of attention for a little while and admired by every red blooded male who came under her spell. I don't think I had ever seen such a beautiful woman in my life but I never felt the urge to approach her for more than friendship.

She had even asked me once if I found her attractive and when I said of course she laughed,

"Major, you are a terrible liar but it's flattering to find a man who is more interested in my mind than my cleavage and thighs! You intrigue me, what is it that saves you from my influence I wonder? There's no mate in the picture...Oh well, I like our relationship just the way it is."

"I'm not sure your boyfriend does though."

She threw her head back and laughed, a genuinely happy sound,

"You mean Demetri? He's hardly my boyfriend although we have fun together from time to time. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to find my own mate. I wonder if I would even recognise him, after all, would he react any differently to me than every other male, present company excepted?"

I thought about this, I could see why it would concern her but having seen Rosalie and Emmett together and Carlisle and Esme, I thought I could answer that question.

"Oh, I think you'll know. There seems to be a special chemistry that draws two people together when its the real thing."

She studied me for a moment,

"Do you ever think about finding yours?"

I shook my head,

"No, I think my past might colour anyone's reaction to me so I try not to think about it since Alice."

"Of course, so you see we don't always get it right. You thought she was your mate."

"Actually I didn't, or at least I had no idea how I should feel when I found my mate, I guess I thought infatuation and love were the same thing."

"Then I guess we're both in a dark place, unable to trust our feelings."

She sighed and pulled her top down further to show more cleavage and her leather skirt up to show more thigh then smiled brightly,

"Well, it's show time Major, be ready when I get back with my little fishes."

I was surprised how quickly Heidi filled up her tour of Volterra bus, so many tourists eager to take part in the festival of St Marcus. Didn't they know they'd already missed the best part? I doubted the guys would have cared even if they had known, most had their attention firmly fixed on Heidi's cleavage or thighs just as she had planned.

As I drove back ignoring Heidi's pre-planned lecture on Volterra and the story of St Marcus I thought about my recent past. Everything had changed over the past few years, ever since we left that small town in the Olympic mountain range, Forks. I couldn't even remember the place any longer, it had been so inconsequential. When I tried to think back I got virtually nothing, a hazy recollection of school and hiking in the mountains with the family. The family? They no longer felt like my family, I felt like an outsider who had been allowed the rare privilege of a glimpse into a world I didn't belong in. Volterra felt more like home than my life with the Cullens ever had. Here I was valued for what I was good at and left to my own devices. The Cullens had been good to me I could hardly deny that although I remembered little that was outstanding. My time with the Cullens was somehow distorted as if I were seeing it through thick frosted glass or my senses had been numbed at the time.

I left the tour group at the entrance to the clock tower, unwilling to become involved in the carnage to come. Instead, I made my way down to the archives by another route, picked up the book I was halfway through, and sat down to read and wait for Marcus to return or a messenger to appear with a new assignment, whichever came first.

In the event, it was Marcus who disturbed me from my reading when he returned carrying a large box and followed by two of the guards with more boxes on trolleys.

"Just put them down there, thank you."

They stacked the boxes where he indicated and left without a backwards glance while he leaned against the bookshelves and gazed at me.

"So Major, enjoying your book?"

"Yes, but it's not why I am here."

He smiled briefly,

"I thought not, well as you have waited so patiently allow me to show you something I discovered that I thought you may be interested in and then we can settle down to discuss your real reason for being here."

He opened the flap of the box he had been carrying and rummaged inside.

"Now where is it? Ah, here we are."

He lifted out a small journal the cover of which was water stained and slightly mildewed and handed it to me.

"I found this quite by accident but I think you will agree it is without price."

I opened it carefully and froze as I recognised the handwriting, it belonged to my mother and the year written on the first page was Martha Whitlock, Houston, Texas, 1864, the year after I became a vampire.

Marcus continued speaking,

"I have no idea if you are aware of what happened to your human family and it's entirely up to you whether you decide to read it or not but at least you now have the option Major."

I shut it, I would read it but not here, I wanted to be in private when I read my mother's words and I wondered if she would mention me in her journal.

"Thank you, Marcus."

"Think nothing of it Major, a chance to connect with our humanity is rare. Still, I think you were waiting for me? Or am I mistaken?"

"No, you're not mistaken. I want to ask your advice although I have no idea if you can help me, you just seem the most well read person here in Volterra."

"I see, and this advice, it requires a certain breadth of knowledge?"

"It requires someone who has spent centuries studying vampires if that's the same thing. I have a problem."

He leaned over close to me and put a finger to his lips,

"Not here Major, the walls sometimes have ears and my brothers become very nervous when they hear one of us has a problem. Let us take a walk."

I followed him out into one of the many the courtyards where he guided me to a small vine covered arbour looking onto a fountain.

"This is where I come to think, it is also the one place in Volterra where one can speak in relative privacy. Behind us are three foot thick stone walls, our faces are shaded by the vines so lip reading is impossible and the sound of the fountain masks words spoken softly. It also ensures that if someone were to attempt to sneak up unobserved, as in someone we could not see, they would be betrayed by wet footsteps on the flagstones. Now, what exactly is your problem?"

I took my time, organising my thoughts before speaking,

"Is it possible for a vampire to lose mental faculties? I mean, become absent minded, forgetful?"

"No, it is not. We may occasionally allow ourselves to become distracted by something but forgetful? No, I remember every moment of my life since becoming a vampire and that was many centuries ago as you are aware."

I nodded,

"I thought not, then something very strange is happening to me or has happened."

Marcus sat forward looking at me keenly,

"Go on."

"I remember my past clearly enough, or most of it but there is a time that seems…...foggy. And that's not all, I have a strange…..feeling, sensation, that comes over me from time to time and I have no idea why."

He sat back looking thoughtful,

"I see what you mean about needing a good understanding of vampires. Can you leave this with me? I would like to do a little research before we discuss the matter further but I will tell you that I think your problem is very interesting."

We parted soon after this, Marcus going back to the archives while I went up to my room carrying a chair onto the small balcony to sit and read my mother's journal.

The first few entries were mundane enough although they brought back memories of my childhood, the farm, how my younger brother had finally learned to plough in a straight line, that the hens were laying well and my sister was recovering from the measles but then the tone changed. My elder brother, Henry, came home on leave when the family received news that I was missing in action presumed dead after a heroic effort to keep a group of women and children safe by escorting them to Galveston.

"My poor baby is dead without ever really living and they expect me to be happy because they are awarding him a medal. Damn their medals, I'd rather have my sweet boy back home safe. Now I have nothing, not even a body to bury or a grave to visit. James is devastated although he tries to hide it from the girls. He shows a father's pride in a brave son but inside he is dying himself.

Henry has to return to duty tomorrow and I cannot help but wonder if I will ever see him again either. How does a mother go on when her heart is broken? It's every mother's right to see her children grow to adulthood and start families of their own. I nursed Jasper through diphtheria and measles to see him grow big and strong. Such a handsome lad with a smile that set every female heart a flutter. His children, my grandchildren, would have been so handsome but now I will see them only in my dreams as I shall only ever see my boy again in my dreams."

The writing was smudged in places and I knew they bore witness to my mother's tears as she wrote. I had loved her but I hadn't given her feelings much thought when war came and I rode away to enlist. Now her agony was here before me on paper and my own stone heart cracked at the signs of it.

I forced myself to keep reading and discovered my little sister Mary had died of smallpox in October, barely two months after my parents received word that Henry had been captured by Union soldiers and sent to the notorious Camp Douglas prisoner of war camp. I wondered if he had died there like so many others, I had read many years later that some 4,275 prisoners bodies were eventually re-interred in a mass grave in Oakwood Cemetery after the war. He could well have been one of them. Out of their six children, my parents had lost half in the space of a year, I could only imagine their grief.

I stowed the small journal among my belongings and went out for a walk in the mountains as the pain my parents had endured finally hit me hard and guilt at my part in it overwhelmed me. I don't remember destroying a small copse of trees or smashing several boulders but when I finally regained control of my emotions I was on my knees apologising to my mother who would never hear my words and surrounded by the evidence of my frustration and guilt. This was just one more burden I had to bear, my selfish insistence on joining the army although I was far too young to be accepted and probably too young to be a good soldier although I learned very quickly. I was proud of my achievements and I knew my parents had been too but they had to live with the pain of losing me while I spent those same years wallowing in a pit of violence and blood with Maria and never gave them a single thought. What kind of a son had I been? And was I any different now? They were questions to which the answers were both bitter and painful.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

 **Bella**

I should have been glad to be home with such modern amenities as running water and a refrigerator but somehow I felt as if I had left something behind which was crazy. The other was that we had so much material it took weeks just to get it all into some semblance of order but then I started writing and found that the subject consumed me. Luckily I had been paid well for my last couple of articles so I didn't need to worry about doing much else apart from finishing off one I had already sketched out regarding dream catchers, not something that interested me very much but to the readers of one magazine it was a fascinating subject and it helped subsidise trips like the one we had just returned from.

I found myself missing sleep as I worked through the night sometimes unwilling to stop as something particular caught my attention and drew me further into the mystical life of vampires. There were so many legends and traditions you had to wonder what lay behind it all, was there or should I say had there ever been a creature who existed on blood alone, whether it be human or animal? Of course there had, you only had to look for them in our own modern world, vampire bats and leeches were just two examples, there were many others that while far smaller and therefore ignored by most people were just as greedy for blood, fleas, lice, mosquitoes, bed bugs and even some birds!

Were these the starting point for the legend of the vampire? All the known hematophagous creatures made humans cringe away in disgust so maybe those characteristics were then applied to some humans who caused the same kind of response in us. Of course, there were plenty of people who truly believed that vampires really exist and still walk the earth although most were looked on as cranks or eccentrics by the rest of humanity after all, if vampires really existed then how come we humans didn't know about them? It wasn't easy to drain the blood from a body and leave it looking like death was the result of a heart attack or accident. Surely there would be news articles about strange deaths all over the world, except of course for the town of Volterra where a saint had banished vampires. Yet ironically every year people flocked to that very town to dress in plastic fangs and cloaks and enjoy themselves. How was it that we loved dressing up as vampires, scaring ourselves to death watching vampire movies and reading novels where the blood drinkers stalked us through dark alleys? There was also the more recent trend towards making vampires the heroes or tragically misunderstood creatures, the Anne Rice books for example. It seemed we had very mixed feelings about vampires, in the abstract they were both deadly and sexy in most people's minds.

As I put my papers together for the night when I was three weeks into writing my book I came across a small bundle tied together with string and accompanied by a note hastily scribbled in Sally's hand in the bottom of an old cardboard box.

"Bella forgot to give you these. A crazy old man in Volterra handed them to me as we were leaving. He said he'd overheard us talking in the bar and understood we were interested in vampires. He said we would find these very interesting but warned me not to open them until we had left the town. I forget all about them in our rush to pack so I'm leaving them in one of the file boxes to check out when we get time. I just hope they aren't too scary for us. Booooooo!

Love Buffy. XX"

I smiled at Sally's signature glancing at the clock, it was well into the small hours yet I sat contemplating the small bundle, curious to see what the "crazy old man" from Volterra had given Sally that he thought might interest us. More traditions? Probably a written account of how St Marcus had rid the town of vampires. We found a lot of our material this way, usually it was elderly people would come to us with papers that had been in their family for generations that they no longer wanted to hold on to but were strangely reluctant to destroy as if to do so might offend those same ancestors, and would hand them to us for safe keeping.

Deciding I really needed a shower and some sleep I took the bundle through and lay it on my bedside locker as a little light bedtime reading then went through to the bathroom still wondering if I would ever get my book finished. It was turning into an epic to rival Gone with the wind or Gibbons Decline and fall of the Roman Empire! I was just glad that the article was finished and ready for publication.

I was too tired by the time I fell into bed to look at the bundle and the next day I was due to fly to Jacksonville to visit my mom. She had been bitching for months that she hadn't seen me so I had finally given in and promised to spend a weekend with her and Phil. When I packed my bag and looked around one last time I saw the bundle and with a sigh pushed it in among my clothes before zipping up and leaving.

What I hadn't expected was to find my dad waiting to pick me up when I arrived at the airport.

"Dad? What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you and when Renee told me you were coming to visit I decided to make the trip. I've got friends here that I haven't seen in awhile too so I'm killing two birds with one stone. How are you? You're looking good, I guess traveling suits you."

As he drove me over to my mom's I regaled him with stories from my travels, mainly funny ones although he was interested to hear how my book was coming along. Charlie was proud of all I'd achieved and didn't mind showing it while my mom thought my interest in the "occult" as she insisted on calling it, was morbid and a waste of time, effort, and money!

Renee and Phil invited dad to stay for dinner and for once everyone got along fine, Renee managing to hold her tongue and avoid her usual caustic remarks when Charlie mentioned Billy and his other Quileute friends. She disliked them, Billy in particular, although it had taken me years to discover why. It transpired that she and Sarah, Billy's wife, had been close friends and she blamed Billy for the accident that killed his wife. It seems Billy had been working on the car before Sarah left for work and although the police report found nothing mechanically wrong with the vehicle and put the accident down to driver error Renee swore that Charlie had written that purely to cover for his friend's ineptitude which was grossly unfair to both Charlie and Billy.

The next day I spent with my mom chatting and shopping although she did all the talking, mainly about people I had never met, and most of the shopping and then Charlie picked me up for dinner with his friends, a couple I knew vaguely but who were very hospitable and funny too. I heard a few stories of my dad's antics when he had been a college student with Ralph our host and determined never to allow him to criticize my antics again. After all, a man who stripped naked and had his photograph taken seated on a marble statue of a horse in the middle of town has little to criticize as far as his daughter's actions are concerned! I just wished I could find a copy of that picture although both Ralph and Charlie insisted that they had destroyed the only copy.

Renee and Phil were still out when we got back so Charlie came in for coffee and a slice of Renee's key lime pie, the only edible thing she could successfully create in the kitchen.

I brought out some of the stuff we had brought back from our trip around Europe and left them with dad to look at while I made the coffee and when I came back I saw he had found the bundle and untied it spreading the contents out on the coffee table.

It occurred to me that he had a strange expression on his face,

"What's up dad? Don't tell me you found that photo of you naked on horseback? I didn't know you had an Italian girlfriend at the time."

He tapped the table without speaking and when I looked closer I saw there were several black and white photographs among the papers.

"Where did you get this Bella?"

I looked closer as I replied,

"An old man gave them to Sally when we were in Italy, why?"

Then I stopped, the photograph he was pointing to was old and faded showing a group of people enjoying a meal at a pavement café in Volterra town square but it wasn't the group that held my attention but two people walking across the back of the picture.

I peered closer,

"That looks like….."

I couldn't remember the name but I knew the face,

"Carlisle Cullen, that's who it looks like but this photograph was taken between the wars, see."

He turned the photograph over and I saw March 1920 had been written in black ink on the back.

"But it can't be him, he wasn't even alive back then but I'll admit it's his twin."

We rummaged through the small pile of photographs but there were no more of the doctor's twin. There were, however, several of the tall brooding looking man with long dark hair who had accompanied Carlisle's double, at different locations I recognized in the town yet each was taken at a different time and not in the same year, not even in the same decade from the clothes worn by those around him.

Dad didn't seem to have noticed, he was still studying the photograph with Dr. Cullen's twin in it and I decided not to point it out to him, something told me to keep that to myself.

"He really does look like Carlisle Cullen, it gave me quite a start. For a moment I thought maybe you'd bumped into the family over there."

I shook my head,

"I'm not sure I'd recognize any of them now, Dad."

He looked at me a little oddly,

"Really? You were close enough once."

I frowned,

"I suppose I was but I guess time has moved on."

He shrugged and a few minutes later we heard Phil's car pull up outside and cleared the coffee table, piling the photographs up then Charlie left promising to pick me up for the return trip to the airport the following evening.

When he had gone I sat and listened as Renee explained in great detail the party they had been too and how her friend Stacy had gotten tipsy and made a pass at Phil and how the same Stacy then tripped and ended up in the fish pond which according to Renee was divine retribution.

She wasn't interested in the photos although Phil looked at them and he noticed the strange occurrence of the same man in the different photos.

"That's spooky Bella, you think he's a ghost? Hey, maybe he's that St Marcus checking the vampires haven't come back."

Renee snatched them from him looking at them with alcohol blurred eyes,

"They've been photo shopped of course. It happens all the while to make things appear to be true when they couldn't possibly be. You are so gullible Phil, you too Bella. Anyway, I'm off to bed, make sure you clean this mess up before you hit the sack, honey."

She disappeared but Phil helped me put the papers back in order holding onto the photos until last.

"I don't care what your mom says Bella, I think he's creepy and those photos don't look like they've been tampered with to me. I like my idea of St Marcus watching over his town, with that long hair and the cloak he even looks like a saint, all he needs is his halo."

When I got to my room I spread the photos out on the bed and grabbed a pencil and paper turning each one over to note the date on the back. There were five with the same man in them somewhere, in 1889, 1909,1919,1939 and 1959 plus the one in 1920 with Doctor Cullen's double. a span of seventy years yet the man hadn't changed at all, he looked exactly the same in everyone although it wasn't the same figure superimposed on each of them, his clothes were similar, dark suits under a dark cloak but the people around him changed. Occasionally it was possible to see the same person in two or even three of the photographs but they had aged where as the mystery man had not and when I organised the rest of the papers that accompanied the photographs I found two drawings of the same man, again in groups of people in the main square in Volterra, one coloured, one a pencil sketch, and they were dated 1789 and 1806. What was going on? What were these photos and sketches supposed to represent? And why was Carlisle Cullen's double in one of them with the mystery man? I felt a shiver run through me as I climbed into bed and that night I dreamed of the golden eyed figure being pursued by black cloaked figures again and wondered when I woke with a start if the mystery man could be one of the cloaked figures as he wasn't the golden eyed one, he was too tall and broad for that.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

 **Bella**

Neither of us mentioned the photographs the following day as Charlie drove me back to the airport for my flight and my mother's parting shot was that I should stop messing about with stupid mythology and find something that would make me some money.

"You'll never get rich writing about superstitious nonsense Bella, it's for children and the gullible."

As Charlie waited with me for my flight to be called he told me to ignore Renee,

"Everything comes down to money with your mom Bella, you do whatever makes you happy and your research seems to. How are you getting on with writing your book? It sounds like you have plenty of material and I can't wait to brag that my little girl is a published author."

"It's getting there, my first inclination was to write one that debunked the myth of the vampire but…"

He looked at me curiously,

"But what? Don't tell me you believe in blood sucking monsters who attack beautiful young maidens in their beds?"

I rolled my eyes, trust him to think about that!

"No dad, that's Hollywood and literature. I'm just not quite so sure as I was that there's nothing behind it all but distorted stories and frightened ignorant peasants."

I think he would have liked to continue the conversation but my flight was called at that point and instead, he gave me a hug and kissed me on the cheek.

"Take care of yourself Bella and keep in touch."

"I will, you too."

I slept during the flight exhausted as I always was after visiting my mom and from my strange dreams but thankfully I didn't see my golden eyed figure or anything else this time.

.When I woke up though I couldn't stop thinking about the mystery man in the photos and wondered if the documents that had been packaged with them would cast any light on the puzzle. I was determined to look at the bundle closely once I got home but that was several hours later than I expected as Sally had left a message apologizing that she couldn't pick me up at the airport because her boyfriend had flown in from Idaho for a surprise visit. I hated cab rides and had to force myself to hail one for a hair raising trip from the airport to my apartment.

A shower and two mugs of strong coffee later I finally felt fortified enough to check out the bundle positioning the photographs like an identikit display before picking up the first document which was handwritten on thick cream paper with the address of the cathedral of Volterra written at the top. My own Italian poor so I typed the whole thing into Google Translate to get an idea what it said and as the words appeared in English I almost stopped in amazement but then forced myself to finish then read it through slowly.

"This is the testament of Alfredo Sonsino who lived in the town of Volterra from 1805 until his death in 1832. He was a good husband and father who abided by the laws of our town, a woodcutter who supplied the town with firewood every winter. When he came to the church on October 21st the year of our Lord 1832 he was white faced and shaking with fear having seen something dreadful in the woods outside the town walls.

He begged me to write this account to warn others of the evil that exists amongst us. He told me that he had heard a noise in the woods and went to investigate thinking someone was cutting down his trees but what he saw was far more terrible. He saw two figures, he would not call them people, that he recognized as visitors to the Duca's Citadel here in town. They were standing over the crumpled body of a young girl, a girl he recognized as Agnella, the butcher's youngest daughter. One of the visitors, "in the guise of a man", had blood on his lips and the other, a woman with silver coloured hair, was kneeling over Agnella, her lips to the girl's throat as if in the act of sucking the blood from her body.

He ran back home and his wife brought him to me when she heard his account. They asked me to take down his story as neither she nor he could read or write. He then asked me to keep this safe for fear the creatures, as he called them, came to kill him for what he had witnessed."

I checked the document here where there was a break in the narrative and saw the signatures, Alfredo Sonsino and his wife had made their marks, two shaky crosses, and the priest, Father Matteo, had signed below these. This part of the document was dated 22nd October 1832.

Pausing for a moment to take in what I had read so far I then went on to read the rest.

"Poor Agnella was discovered by her father who went out looking for her when she failed to return home after gathering sticks in the woods. Her lifeless body was hanging from the branch of an old tree by a thick rope as if she had taken her own life but when I looked at her more closely as she lay in my church before her burial I discovered she had also been savagely bitten. Perhaps she was frightened she would catch the canine madness, for which there was no cure, from whatever had attacked her. I could not bring myself to believe Alfredo's story however convinced he was of the things he thought he had witnessed

Deciding it would be best to speak to someone about Alfredo's strange story I called on a physician who was visiting the Duca and sometimes came to pray in the church. He told me there were no such visitors and that Alfredo must be suffering from some form of madness himself, possibly as a result of having seen poor Agnella attacked by a beast or even hang herself. I think he even thought that perhaps poor Alfredo may have killed Agnella himself and was trying to cover up the crime although I assured him that could not be so."

There was another gap and the next part was clearly written later in a different ink,

"I wonder if I caused Alfredo's death by speaking to the physician, for a week later he was found with his neck broken under a rock fall at the base of a gorge. I know the physician had lied to me because I saw the two people Alfredo described being taken into the Duca's Citadel two nights ago as I returned from administering the last rites to one of my congregation. I do not know the truth of Alfredo's story but I believe there was more to Agnella's death than suicide. She was a pious girl and would never have condemned her immortal soul to hell by taking her own life. The physician left soon after Alfredo's death and never returned. Whoever is reading this document, if it has not been destroyed, beware of those who dwell in the Duca's citadel, those with the strangely colored eyes, the albinos."

Was this authentic? It certainly looked it, but I would have my friend at the university check it for the right age of ink and paper. It sounded like this Alfredo had witnessed a vampire or rather vampires, feeding on their victim but there were other ways of explaining it, maybe they had murdered the girl and that's how the man got blood on his face although the priest mentioned no evidence of rape and the girl didn't sound like she would have been wealthy enough to be carrying money with her.

I picked up the second document which was another statement written by a witness who lived in Volterra during the early 1900's. She had worked inside the citadel which was owned by three brothers who she described in great detail and one was almost certainly the man in the photographs which would make his name Marcus or Marcos depending on how she chose to spell it each time. She said that no food was ever prepared inside the citadel, that often groups of people came to visit but were never seen again although she had seen jewelry and sometimes clothes she recognized from the visitors being worn by the people who lived inside. Her name was Marie Sonsino, a descendant of Alfredo or related by marriage.

The third document was much older and more difficult to decipher as the ink had faded in places and the blob of wax that had held it closed had stained the parchment. I wrote out as much as I could and took it to a friend who could read Latin the next day but even she had problems,

"Where did you get this Bella? It's not standard Latin, I'd say it's probably early 17th century. You need a linguist if you want an exact translation."

"Can you give me an idea of what it says?"

She shrugged,

"I can try, leave it with me and I'll call you later, I have a class to teach first."

When I got back to my apartment Sally was there poring over the photo's and munching on an apple whose skin was almost as rosy as her hair.

"What do you make of these? I'd bet money it's the same man but it can't be, can it? Not unless the immortal vampires really do exist."

She grinned at me but I couldn't return it, there was something most certainly odd about the photo's, the documents, and Volterra.

I told her about the documents and made coffee while she perused them and by the time I returned she wasn't smiling any longer either.

"It has to be a hoax, someone who knew why we were there and made all this up to yank our chains. We made no secret of our interest in vampires and St Marcus so it would have been easy enough to fake these."

"You think so? In such a short space of time? And what about the photos? Are they fake too?"

"Why not? Someone with a sense of humor probably got all this together ready to give it to someone gullible enough to think it might be real. I mean come on Bella, vampires alive and well and living in Italy? It's a joke."

"I guess so, but why didn't the guy ask for any money if it's all faked? And it doesn't really fit in with our theory which we told anyone who asked. Why would someone who believes in vampires give all this to people who don't believe and intend writing to say so?"

She shrugged,

"I don't know, perhaps he wanted us to see we were wrong, that vampires aren't just a myth. I wish he hadn't given them to us. I should have refused to take them, creepy old guy."

A thought struck me,

"Hey, maybe I can add it at the end of the book as a kind of "What if we're all wrong?"

"Good idea, that'll get people thinking and give it a twist."

We worked on the material for the rest of the day calling for a pizza delivery rather than stopping to go out and eat and by five thirty I was ready to call it a day, we'd gotten through a lot of material and I could see my next couple of chapters outlined for me already.

Sally hadn't been gone long when I remembered I had to ring Stella for an update on the third document.

"Bella, hi. Listen, that excerpt you gave me, where did you get it?"

"From someone on my travels, why?"

"Because it's really odd. As far as I can tell it describes three men, possibly brothers, who live in an Italian town that's not named but according to the author they aren't human. He calls them devils who bathe in blood. I think your writer may have been a priest the way he writes. He certainly calls them cursed and he says they are immortal or at least that no weapon of the church can kill them. Is it a part of a story? If so I'd love to read the rest. I have a friend, well a friend of my dad's really who works with old documents, mainly Latin, he could probably translate it properly if you want."

I thought about this, maybe she was right and it was just a story written by a priest to instruct his flock…..she was still talking and a name registered with me suddenly.

"Sorry, could you say that again."

"Yeah, the three men/brothers were called Aro, Caius, and Marcus, but there was another name associated with them, Volturi. I've never heard that before, have you?"

"No, look don't bother your dad's friend it was just a piece of an old document, just a story as you say."

She was happy, Stella didn't get along with her dad and I knew her offer had been quite a strain for her. There was that name again, Marcus, and the mention of three men/brothers, was it all just a coincidence? And what did Volturi mean? I Googled the word but got nothing, so was it a family name? The mystery had just deepened especially as I was convinced this document also referred to Volterra.


	10. Chapter 10

****Reposting due to a continuity mistake. Jules xx****

 ** **Chapter Ten****

 ** **Jasper****

I read my mother's journal over and over again hoping that perhaps I had missed something that would tell me my parents had some luck after all their bad fortune but there was nothing and I wondered if my other siblings had lived to adulthood and looked after our parents as they grew old, if indeed they lived to old age, many didn't during the war and I had never tried to trace them after I left maria's service deciding there was no point. Now I had read this journal however, I was desperate for some reassurance Did Henry survive his incarceration in a prisoner of war camp to go home when the war ended? I really hoped so, he was a good son and would have done all he could to support the family.

Something inside me was driving the urge to leave Volterra and to see if I could discover what had happened to my family, although it was far too late to do anything constructive now. It might give me a good reason to go and possibly discover what it was that was driving me crazy. It might just give me a little peace of mind to find Henry had gone home, taken on the farm, and given my parents the grandchildren and comfortable old age they so richly deserved. I decided that after speaking to Marcus again I would ask for some leave, I hadn't been away except on Volturi business since I was recruited and I couldn't imagine it would be a problem.

Marcus was in his usual place in the archives when I found him and asked if he had discovered anything about my problem.

"I may have but I cannot say for certain, let's walk shall we?"

I followed him to the arbor beside the fountain and we sat together in companionable silence watching the fish dart in and out between the water lilies for a time before he began to speak.

"There is no outside influence that could cause the distractions you are feeling apart from possibly one but it is a long shot, Major."

"Go on."

"I realize you and the Cullens were very close, you saw Carlisle as a father figure in some ways didn't you?"

"Yes, they helped me to find a way to live in peace with my gift but what's that got to do with the situation?"

"Possibly nothing. You know there are various gifts among our kind that can influence others? Jane and yourself to name but two. I have known others whose gifts were more insidious."

"Are you saying that I'm being influenced by a gift? But why? And who?"

"Now that I cannot answer and I doubt you could either. It may be a test run for a new gift choosing someone as strong as you with a gift of their own but it is unlikely. We would usually hear of such a gift before it was controlled enough to be used in such a way."

"Which leaves what? A highly gifted vampire that the Volturi don't know about? How likely is that?"

"Extremely unlikely I admit but it must be considered Major."

"I don't see it, why would someone pick on me?"

"That would depend on what they hoped to accomplish. If the gift could turn you against the Volturi then you could be a serious danger to us working from within but again it seems unlikely and from what you have told me it does not appear this is the kind of influence being used. No, I think this may be something that was used some time ago. Maybe even while you were with Maria although why I cannot imagine, unless…..were you perhaps influenced to leave her service? Possibly but to what end? I don't see anyone has gained by your absence, do you?"

I shook my head but I felt distinctly uncomfortable at the thought my actions were being influenced by some outside agency.

"Only her adversaries and if they had such a gift it would have been used to defeat her there and then, certainly not kept hidden all this time."

"Very well, I agree, so could you have been influenced to leave the Cullens? That is another possibility."

Again I shook my head,

"I have the same question, Why? I can't see that anyone has gained by my absence. If anything the family has fragmented to a degree….."

Marcus nodded thoughtfully,

"Yes, it has, hasn't it. Perhaps that was the intention all along."

He gazed at the fountain thoughtfully for a while and my own mind was working frantically, could it be related to the family? I had begun to feel this strange sensation while I was with them certainly and it may well have been the reason I left but if so that would mean someone had been attacking them and I couldn't imagine anyone who would want to destroy Carlisle's family. I was no further forward than when I arrived although I supposed I could contact Carlisle and tell him of our conversation. Perhaps he could shed some light on the subject.

"Leave it with me, I need to dig a little deeper and we still have no idea who could be powerful enough to influence you Major or more worryingly, if they are still doing so."

I explained my idea of a leave of absence and he thought it was a good idea,

"Getting away from here might not be a bad thing, especially as we have no idea what you might be influenced to do if anything. I will give my backing to your request and I don't see a problem but rest assured I will continue to look into your "situation" and I at least do not expect anything dire to happen, Major, I think your loyalty is too strong to be influenced by anyone."

I thanked him and when he left I went for a walk out on the mountainside uneasy at the thought there might be a powerful gift out there somewhere attempting to move me around like a pawn on a chessboard. I would be very careful to double check every decision I made to ensure it felt autonomous and free from outside influence.

I received notice of a month's leave of absence the very next day and booked a flight back to the United States for that same night, I had no time to waste if I were to find the trail that would lead to my brother's fate.

The flight was uneventful and it felt strange, as I left the airport in a rental car, to be back in the United States again. I felt like a foreigner after living in Volterra for more than two years and spent a day becoming acclimatized before starting my hunt for a paper trail that might tell me what happened to Henry. I tried the records of Confederate Prisoners of War online at family search and found his name, he had been sent from Camp Douglas to Alton military prison the name of which sent a shudder through every Confederate soldier, it was so bad it had been shut down once and then reopened because prisoner numbers had swelled so much in other prisons.

Sure enough, I found his name in the register of prisoners at Alton and beside it was a short notation, the words deceased and smallpox. So Henry hadn't made it back home after all, he had died sick and suffering in a Union Army military prison. Did my mother ever learn the truth or did she die still wondering what exactly had happened to him? Maybe she had believed he had escaped as some did and then died in battle, a noble death fighting the Union army that had once incarcerated him. Better than thinking of him sick and untended dying in a filthy prison cell among rats and fleas.

Henry had turned out to be a dead end quite literally but I could still try to discover what had happened to the rest of my family and maybe even learn of descendants still living. I made my way back to Texas and my family home although the cabin I had been born in, the one I had called home for 14 years along with my siblings was long gone. In its place stood a recently built wooden ranch house surrounded by fields and paddocks. The farm was much bigger than my home had been but then we didn't have the tools and mechanized help that I saw in the barns and yard now.

The mail box had the name Anderson freshly painted on it and I turned the rental car around and headed for town although Houston wasn't the town I remembered from my human lifetime either. It was a huge sprawling metropolis now but that meant archives and records buildings which were just what I needed if my hunt was to bear fruit,

The records offices were all closed by the time I arrived and I found a motel in which to spend a few nights then settled down with the journal once more. I was back home and not that far from my friends Peter and Charlotte but I knew I wouldn't be contacting them, I didn't feel there was anything left to say, they disapproved of my decision to join the Volturi, they didn't see the guard as a police force but as a weapon to keep any dissension quiet and I wasn't going to go through that old argument again.

I thought about Carlisle and Esme, they would welcome a visit from me but I couldn't put myself through that either. Their family wasn't mine, not any longer, and they didn't need reminding that I had joined the Volturi either although Carlisle would understand, he knew what I was doing was right, right for me, and right for our world. I was keeping order, keeping those like him and his family safe from the witch hunt that would break out if the humans ever discovered that vampires really existed and lived and hunted among them.

I guess what it really boiled down to was that I wasn't the same person anymore, I'd finally found some peace that allowed me to live in a way I was comfortable with and let me feel useful. In the Volturi, I could put my particular talents to work for a good cause. Yes, I still killed people but these were people who deserved to die for putting the safety of the many in danger. It was a myth that the Volturi guard spent its time watching for the slightest excuse to act against its own kind. We were only brought into play when danger was imminent and then to warn first and only to take a life if such warnings were ignored. There were times when humans came into this mix, very occasionally a human had been allowed to discover our existence through carelessness or even more rarely deliberately and then they had to be dispatched but it was done quickly and as painlessly as possible, we weren't monsters. I had only been involved in one assignment that involved a human, in fact, I think there had only been one for several decades, most vampires kept away from humans except to hunt and then their prey was disposed of carefully afterward. Of course, I'd killed my share of humans when I was with Maria and hadn't given it a second thought at the time but living with Carlisle had given me a better appreciation of human life and it's value so the fewer such orders that I received the better but I wouldn't flinch from them.

As I showered Marcus words came back to me, could there be a gifted vampire somewhere who was trying to influence me? If so, why was he or she having so much trouble? I would have thought anyone with a gift that powerful would be able to insinuate themselves inside a brain without being noticed, after all, what was the use of a gift that warned the prey it was being attacked and give that prey time to fight back? The thought that someone might have used me to attack the Cullens was unsettling, perhaps I should contact Carlisle after all and tell him, he might even know what I was talking about, he'd been around long enough to know most of the gifted vampires in our world. Deciding it would only be right I wrapped a towel around my waist and padded through to the bedroom to retrieve my cell phone and after a moment's hesitation called Carlisle's number.

"Doctor Cullen here."

"Carlisle, it's me, Jasper."

"Jasper? It's wonderful to hear from you. Is everything OK? Where are you son?"

"Carlisle, I have a slight problem and I thought you might be able to help."

"I see, what is it?"

He sounded cautious and I knew he was wondering if I wanted his help to trace someone, some quarry.

"It's personal actually."

I explained my problem and the conversation I had with Marcus then asked if he had any ideas.

"Not off hand, it could just be a reaction to working in Volterra after such a long time away from such work."

"So you don't know of anyone with the kind of gift that could cause this?"

"No, no one. Did Marcus not have any idea? He's the most knowledgeable about our kind."

"Funny, that's what he said about you. Still, thanks anyway."

"Ah, before you go Jasper. Are you going to visit sometime? I know Esme would be thrilled to see you again, Rose and Emmett too. We could all get together for a few days when you are over here."

"Maybe, we'll see. Anyway thanks and please give Esme my regards."

We both knew I would never go back, it was my past and I was only interested in my future, well that and my human past I guess.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Ten**

 **Bella**

In the end, after sending the dream catcher article to the magazine that had commissioned it I decided to concentrate on getting my book finished so I could send it to the publisher who had expressed an interest in a book about vampires, they were in vogue just at the moment. As I had already decided I entitled it A Beautiful Deception and added the last chapter which asked the question, do vampires really exist after all? The whole chapter focused on the small Italian town of Volterra and the rumors of vampire royalty having made it their home. I wasn't sure whether to post one of the photographs from the bundle at the end with a caption, "Who or what is this and if a he, is he immortal?" But as Sally pointed out I might get into trouble using photographs without permission although as they were all so old the guy should, theoretically, be dead and I wasn't quite sure who I should approach for such permission but it gave me an idea.

"I'll post one of the photographs, the most recent, on the internet and ask if anyone recognizes him, that way I might just get permission to add the images to my book."

Sally shrugged,

"Sounds like a good idea but tell me, Bella, now you've finished your book what do you really believe?"

I paused, unsure how to answer her,

"I'm not really sure. Until we visited Volterra I would have been perfectly happy to say that vampires not only do not exist, they never did, but there was something about that place, the photo's and documents."

"So, you think they are authentic?"

"I think the people who wrote them truly believed they had seen or experienced something supernatural and it's hard to argue with so many witnesses spread out across the centuries."

"It's all superstition and ignorance Bella. If you start believing in vampires then next it will be werewolves and fairies, where does it end?"

She was right of course, I was letting my imagination run away with me and that wasn't good.

"That last chapter is good though, I think it will get lots of people thinking, mainly crackpots but that's to be expected when you write something about everyone's favorite monsters. Hey, you might even get thanks from Volterra for putting the town firmly on the tourist destination list. If you do, don't forget I helped you."

"I won't. You know something Sally, I've been working on this for so long I really don't know what I'm going to do with myself now it's completed."

"We could go looking for evidence that werewolves exist, after all, they're the second most popular monsters after vampires and if not you could make a fortune debunking the supernatural creatures of legend."

"I think a rest is in order before I decide what to focus on next but thanks for all your help. As soon as I decide on my next project I'll give you a call."

It was strange to be able to sit down and relax, I was so used to thinking about my next stop or how I would present a particular piece of information and I knew it wouldn't be long before I was on the road again. After a few weeks, I would get itchy feet and be ready for my next adventure. I sent my dad a link to the publication containing the article knowing he would be eager to read what I'd written and then with less enthusiasm sent another to Renee although I doubted I would get anything constructive from her, she thought vampires were only one step removed from Ouija boards and seances which according to her were fakes used by the unscrupulous to take money from the gullible.

I hunted on the internet for the best site to put up the photograph of the mystery man and found a local online Volterra newspaper that when I explained what I wanted was happy to help me so I emailed the photograph and a short piece asking for information on his identity plus any other historical documents regarding murders or suspicious deaths in and around the town. I added I would be willing to pay postage and a small fee for any documents that were proved to be authentic.

Leaving it for a few days I checked the website but there was nothing on there yet. Things moved more slowly in Italy so I wasn't too concerned although I was eager to find out who the man was and if he had any living relatives, maybe even one who looked very much like him, that was one explanation for the same face in different eras. I'd seen mothers and daughters who were the image of each other so maybe this guy's genes were passed down and each generation had a double of him, it was stretching things I knew but it was a possible explanation and one that was more believable than that there was an immortal living in Volterra, possibly even a vampire.

When my request had still not been posted by the following week I emailed the site to ask if there was a problem but at first, I received no reply which was odd because they had replied to my initial inquiry quickly enough. The following evening I finally got a reply which puzzled me, it seemed my e mail with the details of my search and photograph had never been received by the website and they had assumed I had chosen another means of publicizing my request. I checked my sent folder and it had definitely gone but maybe it was in the great e-communication graveyard in the sky where lost texts and emails went to rot. I resent the email and asked for a confirmation as soon as it was received although I doubted it would be that fast an acknowledgment, my correspondence was only one among many they received on a daily basis and was hardly urgent.

My book was due for publication online the following month, without the photograph, and I was already inundated by magazines offering me new assignments which delighted me, it was great to have my work appreciated despite what my mother said. I had enough from the vampire assignment for a short holiday and decided it would do me good to get away from it all and spend a few days relaxing on Daniel's boat. He was a neighbor of mine who lived with his girlfriend Andy and offered me the use of his boat moored at Cabrillo Way Marina whenever he wasn't using it. I was in luck, it was free and I packed a few things and rented a car for a week. I had long ago decided that owning a car in LA was a bad and an expensive idea. Most of the time I got from A to B using the bus or calling a cab, it was cheaper in the long run.

I was in luck when I phoned him, it was free, and I packed a few things and rented a car for a week. I had long ago decided that owning a car in LA was a bad and an expensive idea. Most of the time I got from A to B using the bus or calling a cab, it was cheaper in the long run.

The marina was a haven of peace and tranquillity just as I remembered and I slipped into my swimsuit grabbed a glass of chilled white wine and a book and found a sheltered spot on deck to relax. My choice of reading material hadn't changed over the years, I still preferred the classics such a Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, and Wuthering Heights, they were a way of losing myself, going back to a less complicated time and for a few hours I thought about nothing but Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett, wondering how I would have handled the situation if I had been her. Unfortunately, I had yet to meet my own Mr. Darcy, most of the guys I knew were a world apart from the cool aloof romantic hero of the book although I could vaguely remember there being a boy at school who had fit that mold, I just couldn't remember his name. He obviously hadn't made that big an impression on me so he couldn't possibly be a second Mr. Darcy.

When I went back inside the cabin to change as the temperature dipped at the sun began to set I noticed I had missed several calls and received voice mail. Retrieving it I discovered it was Charlie telling me he had read my article in the magazine and thought it was great. From what he said I took it that everyone who had stepped a foot inside the station that day had been forced to read it too or spend a few hours in a cell! He was curious as to why I hadn't used the mysterious photographs,

He was however curious as to why I hadn't used the mysterious photographs,

"I thought magazines liked all that mystery person, who is this? type of thing. Your mom rang me today, she and Phil are off to Mexico for a couple of weeks camping and she's not taking her cell phone with her, something about getting back to nature. She tried to call you but you weren't answering and I think she took that as a personal slight, you know how temperamental she gets. Anyway, she asked me to give you a message "when she finally deigns to answer her phone." She read the article and thought it was well written although the content, in her words, was far too sensational and pandered to the darkest fears in our psyche. End of quote. I guess that's about what you expected? Anyway, I hope you're taking it easy for a while. At a guess, I'd say you've slunk off to Daniel's boat for a few days. Ring me when you return to civilization kiddo. Love Ya."

I smiled, mom's reaction had been just what I expected but I was glad my dad had seen the article. No doubt it would take pride of place on his desk at work for the next few weeks, my dad was proud of his literary offspring.

I had resisted the urge to pack my laptop and wondered if my post had made it onto the Volterra news website yet. I guess I was hoping that when I got back I might have some replies, maybe even a name….Marcus maybe? I shook my head, that's just weird Bella, pull yourself together girl. Maybe I should choose a more down to earth subject for my next assignment although I really couldn't see me doing a piece on "Life as a model on the catwalk" as one magazine had wanted or "Life on the streets in LA for a teenage runaway." Now that topic had been done to death recently and I wasn't going over someone else's ground. Sally's idea of debunking the myth of the werewolf held a certain fascination but maybe I'd had enough of poking around the ruined castles and dark forests of Eastern Europe for a while although there were always the stories of the Native American tribes that I had only written about for college. The spirit warriors who became animals to keep their tribes safe from various spectral monsters. I still had a great source in the Quileute elders if I was prepared to go back home to interview them again.

I decided to sleep on it for a few days and after making myself a tuna salad for dinner with another glass of Chablis I switched on the TV flicking through for a comedy film to keep me entertained until bedtime. Eventually, I found Overboard with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, one of my favorites and settled back with the remains of the wine and some chocolate.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

 **Carlisle**

I had found Jasper's call troubling, not the fact that he had contacted me, that had been a good sign, I had, after all, wondered if we would ever hear from him again, but the content of the call. I understood what he was feeling as well as Marcus had but I didn't understand why Marcus should point Jasper in my direction.

True I knew of one gift that was powerful enough to cause…...well no, that wasn't quite true. I knew of someone who could alter or make things go away but you wouldn't have the uneasy feeling that someone had tampered with your memories, you just wouldn't know and have no idea that you should.

Besides, I hadn't spoken to William in decades, ever since our difference of opinion that had divided us so completely. William would need a very compelling reason to use his gift, he laid low for a very long time hiding from the Volturi and he avoided anything that might bring him to their attention like the plague.

So, why on earth would William be using it to influence Jasper Whitlock? The two didn't even know each other as far as I was aware, they hardly moved in the same circles. Of course, if William had worked his magic on Jasper he was hardly likely to admit to it and certainly not to me, as I say we hadn't talked in decades.

I considered whether to tell Esme of the call, it would probably only upset her, she still missed Jasper but then decided I probably should, especially as he had sent her his regards. It was hardly a warm greeting to the woman who had considered him her son but it was better than nothing. Of course, I was right to be concerned, as soon as I told her she began to worry that he might have taken a road that we would consider wrong and be regretting it but she had been pleased he had remembered her.

"Can't you contact William? Surely if there is something going on with Jasper we should try to find out and warn him. He must be concerned if he called you Carlisle, especially after we made our feelings so clear when he left."

"My dear, I haven't spoken to William in years, why should he talk to me now? We didn't exactly part on the best of terms. Besides, I can't see William using his gift on someone unless it was to keep himself safe and that can hardly be the case here."

She didn't say anymore but I got the look, the one that says you will do as I want eventually, I don't need to ask again. It never fails and by day two I had caved in and agreed to call William,

"But I don't hold out much hope he will speak to me."

"You're going to try and that's as much as you can do, Carlisle. Just don't forget what you said, William would use his gift if he felt he needed to protect himself and the only people he would need to do that from would be the Volturi. The same Volturi Jasper now works for."

I considered she was way off the mark but I would ring him as I had promised her.

I waited until I was at work after my clinics were finished to call William knowing I was unlikely to be disturbed and as I did so I got the strangest feeling I had been here before but that was ludicrous, I was becoming as paranoid as Jasper and Esme!

The phone rang and rang until the answering machine kicked in and I was forced to leave a short message,

"William, it's Carlisle Cullen. I wonder if you would call me back, I need to speak to you quite urgently."

I guess I should have said more, maybe even apologized for the disagreement we had that had ended our friendship, but those kind of things were better said face to face or at least not on voice mail. All I could do now was to wait and hope he would call back, if not then I would have to accept our friendship was irretrievably broken.

I guess that was what I expected so I was rather surprised when an hour later as I was about to leave the hospital he returned my call.

"Carlisle, you said it was urgent."

His voice was cold and unfriendly and that hurt me, we had once been such good friends,

"Yes, William it is but first, how are you? It's been a long time and I guess I hoped we could…."

"Yes, it's been awhile, what do you need Carlisle? I know you wouldn't have bothered contacting me unless you wanted something."

"Actually I don't need anything. I just wondered if you could tell me if you have found it necessary to use your gift recently on well... let's call him a former member of my family."

"Why would I do that? You know I prefer to keep a low profile, it's safer that way."

"Yes, I thought so, it's just that he asked me if I knew of any one who could have altered his memory in some way."

"And you thought of me? How sweet. I can see your attitude hasn't changed any Carlisle which is a pity but not surprising. I'd be grateful if you didn't contact me again."

Something inside me forced another question out before I could stop it,

"Is there something I should know William?"

"No Carlisle, nothing. Goodbye."

He cut the connection and I put my phone down slowly feeling quite bereft, I had few good friends, few enough to grieve at losing one over something so stupid and banal. Still, he had made his feelings very clear and I would respect them. I tore William's number from my phone book and crumpled it up throwing it into the waste paper basket under my desk feeling the pain of separation as I did so.

When I got home I told Esme what had happened and could see she was upset on my behalf.

"I'm so sorry Carlisle, I know you valued your friendship with William, it's not often we find a friend who stays close over the centuries and I know the two of you were close friends for a long time."

"Yes we were, I first met William in 1723 in Paris where he was teaching Latin to the sons of the nobility. I think if not for our misunderstanding we would still be friends."

"What exactly did happen? You've never told me."

"Because it shows me in a less than good light Esme that's why. I had spent some time living with him before I traveled to Volterra and stayed for more than ten years as a guest of Aro and his brothers. He wasn't keen on my going, he never trusted the Volturi but I was young and curious.

When I returned William and I renewed our friendship, traveling through Europe and eventually sailing to the New World together. I practiced medicine and he continued to teach, there was still a thirst for knowledge among the aristocrats who had made new lives over here buying plantations and in the export businesses.

In 1887 I was invited back to Volterra and despite his objections, I went. Unfortunately, while I was there he was approached by the Volturi who had learned of his gift and he blamed me although I was not the one who initially informed on him. Although once they became aware of his gift I did admit to knowing him and offered to use our friendship to encourage him to join their ranks. I saw them as a force for good as I still do although I feel there have been some questionable acts done in their name over the years.

He felt my actions were a betrayal of our friendship because I knew his feelings about them. I'm afraid I said some terrible things, accusing him of paranoia and selfishness. I even accused him of using his gift purely for his own ends at which point we parted and he went into hiding. The sad thing was that although I still had a way of contacting him and he used his gift to keep himself safe he never used it on me. Even with my betrayal he still trusted me. So you see, his attitude is understandable."

"Do you know who did inform on him?"

"I discovered later that it had been a woman he had become close to. What he didn't know was that she was a hunter, a Volturi gift who sniffed out other gifts for them."

"And did you tell him?"

"No, what was the point? He wouldn't have believed me, besides she was killed a short time later by a nomad, so she couldn't have backed up my story and no one else except the Volturi knew of her gift. Eleazer took her position in Italy and I decided to let sleeping dogs lie. From his attitude today I think that was for the best."

"Will you tell Jasper what he said?"

"What's the point, my dear? If I had something constructive to say then I would. As it is, let Marcus come up with some other notion. Jasper is no longer a member of this family, he chose to go to Volterra so perhaps his problems do stem from going back to his old way of life."

"That's hardly fair Carlisle, the work he does now is nothing like he did in Maria's army."

I sighed rubbing my forehead distractedly,

"Yes, you're right and I'm usually the one defending the Volturi, but I won't call him Esme, I think like between William and me, the connection with Jasper is severed permanently. Now, are we going to see Alice and Garrett as planned? Or has something else cropped up?"

Esme smiled brightly and I was relieved that she had something else to distract her today.

"No nothing else, Rose and Emmett will be there too, it will be nice to have the family all together again."

"All except Edward that is."

"Oh yes, he called to say he's coming home next week for a visit, so you see I might just get all the family back together if I work at it. Now come on or we'll be late."

It was plain to see how happy Esme was at the prospect of having her family around her once more. We both knew it could never be as it once had, things change, people change, although the changes all seemed to happen when we left Forks, so was that an omen? I had considered selling the house there and now might be the time to bring the subject up, while Esme was in a good mood. It was certainly worth thinking about.

 **Esme**

I knew I was deluding myself, the family would never be together as it had been, not with Edward in Milan and Jasper in Volterra. Even Alice and Garrett rarely stayed with us, they spent most of their time among his friends, Peter, Charlotte, and Darius. We had been such a happy and close family at one time and I often tried to work out the point at which it changed, hoping that if I could see why things had gone so terribly wrong I could change them and bring us closer once more but I could never put my finger on it.

When we moved from Idaho to Forks everyone had seemed so excited at the thought of a new start in a place we all loved. Only Alice and Jasper were new to Forks and they seemed to settle in very quickly, the mountains and the cloudy skies meant there was plenty of hunting opportunities and less sunny days to keep us indoors. They even settled into the high school without any problems although Jasper was apprehensive, it was all so new to him.

Then…...well, we were just off and away and I couldn't even remember why then slowly we drifted apart. Rose and Emmett were still as close as ever as were Carlisle and me but Alice and Jazz? Well. that was doomed to fail, they just weren't connecting anymore and that made both of them unhappy until finally, they had parted.

Edward moving away came as something of a shock, I had always expected he would stay whatever else might happen. He was so close to Carlisle, like a real son, and he and I were good friends after our rather shaky start with jealousy on both sides.

Even he couldn't explain why he chose to move abroad, all he could say was that things had changed, that he felt it was time to branch out alone although we were always hopeful that he would come home to us eventually, Emmett and Rose too.

Still, I had my family for some years and that's all most women got, a few short years with their children before they grew and flew the nest, I would just have to be satisfied that they kept in touch.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

 **Jasper**

I hadn't expected to hear from my employers while I was on vacation so it came as something of a surprise when I received a message from Marcus himself asking me to contact him immediately. It sounded urgent and I wondered what could possibly have happened that warranted such a summons, besides it was normally Caius who issued my orders through Felix.

I left the records office in Houston where I was half heartedly attempting to trace my family and walked to a nearby park before returning Marcus' call.

"Major, thank you for calling me so promptly, I have a certain piece of business that needs to be dealt with quickly and as you are already in the vicinity I thought you might be able to help me."

"Of course, if I can. I take it this is private business as we are avoiding the normal channels?"

"Yes, although it could well be nothing, indeed that is what I am hoping. I have received word from a reliable source that a certain female in Los Angeles is attempting to find my identity using a photograph taken in 1959, not that in itself that is too worrying, no. The real problem is that the same female is asking for information on any unusual deaths in and around Volterra and there are no time constraints on her curiosity. She is happy to hear about such occurrences whenever they may have happened throughout history."

"Right, well I can see how that might be awkward, can I ask where she obtained the photograph?"

"That is a mystery although as I venture out from time to time there is always the possibility of my appearing in the background of a photograph taken by someone of the town. I have yet to see the photograph in question, it's more the connection between my photo and unusual deaths that concerns me. I wondered if you might be able to get some information on what this woman intends doing with any information she might receive."

"You want me to find out what she knows or suspects?"

"In the first instance, yes. The two questions may not be related and I would not want to order her killed if it is unnecessary. Perhaps you could contact her with some information, maybe of an unusual death although there have been none in recent history, we would not allow it. Maybe it would be better if you could tell her there have been no unusual deaths and at the same time quiz her about her interest in me."

"And if I find she is joining the dots and finding a vampire in the picture?"

"Then you must, of course, inform me and we can decide how to deal with the problem but please be careful how you approach her. If she has any suspicions about our kind we do not want to give her more food for thought. It could make the situation more dangerous."

Marcus gave me the contact details for the woman, a name Miss B Swan and a P.O Box in L.A. and I drove cross country to the city of angels curious myself about a human with possible knowledge of our kind. Such a situation was extremely rare unless a nomad was involved and as far as we were aware there hadn't been such an incident in the past few years so how did this woman find out about vampires? Or was she just interested in the macabre history of an old Italian town? Of course, that didn't explain her interest in Marcus but then maybe she thought they were blood relatives. Now that idea was quite funny, somehow I couldn't see the dour Volturi brother as bluff old Uncle Marcus and taking that to its ultimate foolishness, it could be she thought bluff old Uncle Marcus was a serial killer! I laughed convinced this would turn out to be nothing at all.

 **Marcus**

The information from my source was enough to cause me some concern, as far as I was aware there were no photographs of me and if some woman had found one why would it interest her? I looked again at the notes I had written down, Ms. Bella Swan and a P.O Box number in L.A. Who are you, Miss Swan? I googled the name and came up with a college graduate who wrote articles for magazines on a variety of subjects. A link to a list of articles brought me up short at one which was an expose on vampires, the reality behind the myth, something that had been done many times before. When I had read it I had to admit this girl had certainly done her homework and at the end of the article I discovered she had a book awaiting publication which was an in depth look at the material from the article and was entitled "A Beautiful Deception." Well now, that was promising, it sounded as if she had decided all the stories about vampires were mere lies just like all the rest but I needed to be sure. I also needed to see the manuscript before it was printed to check if my photograph had been used in it anywhere and if so, why.

It didn't take me long to break into the publisher's website but unfortunately, Ms. Swan's book was not in any of the files. Perhaps it was ready to be uploaded but hadn't been yet. This meant I was reliant on The Major for information in the short term although if either of my brothers heard about the possible security problem this girl Bella Swan would find herself in a very early grave.

On a hunch, I ran through the hotel bookings in Volterra for the past two years, possibly Ms. Swan had visited, if so then the source of the photograph and anything else hinting at possible unusual deaths was much closer to hand. Six months back I struck gold, two women had booked a room at the Albergo Nazionale, Ms. B Swan and a Ms. S Baker for five nights. So I had been correct, they had visited Volterra, but why? Possibly because of the festival, yes, they had been here in March, well that was understandable considering the topic of the article and if someone here in Volterra knew of the reason for the visit of these two American girls then maybe they had decided to offer some source material although obviously not enough to join the dots. If so, then I thought I might know who that someone had been and could get some answers for myself while I waited for The Major to report back.

I knew my quarry wouldn't be in until late evening, he spent most of his time at the Bar Priori from where he could watch the comings and goings in the square so I made my way to his modest home down one of the tiny alleys that fringed the town walls and made myself comfortable in the dark to wait for his arrival. When he came in and flicked the light switch nothing happened and he swore loudly,

When he came in and flicked the light switch nothing happened and he swore loudly,

"Alberto, still as foul mouthed as ever I see."

He jumped and I saw his eyes widen as he recognized my voice,

"Signor Marcus? I...it...it has been a long time."

"Yes, it has. What have you been doing Alberto?"

He recovered himself and the nervous stuttering stopped although he was so frightened that his voice still shook.

"Me? Nothing, my arthritis prevents me from carving as I used to, now I spend my time talking to visitors, showing them our beautiful town."

"Telling them of the people who live in the Fondazione?"

He shook his head and I could see his whole body was shivering now.

"No, Signor, I do not speak of the foundation, I merely tell those who ask about it that some rich reclusive people live there who are town benefactors. What else could I say? That is the truth."

"What about the two American women who were here for the festival of St Marcus? Did they ask you about the Foundation?"

Again he shook his head and I could see he was telling the truth,

"No, they asked about the festival and if the people here in town believed vampires had once lived here. The woman, she said she was writing an article for a magazine. She was interested in the story of St Marcus, and that is what we spoke about."

"What about photographs? And documents perhaps? Did you have something hidden away? Maybe the document written by your unfortunate ancestor?"

He had gone white and his heart was racing and I knew he was the one who had given Bella the photograph, but what else had he given her?

"Tell me, Alberto, what exactly did you give Ms. Swan?"

He shook his head backing away from me until he came up against the wall.

"Your family has kept its part of the bargain over the years Alberto and I have been more than generous to you, to all of you, including that sweet little granddaughter of yours, what is her name? Oh yes, Lilliana, how old is she now?"

"No please Signor Marcus, I only gave her friend some photographs of the square during the festival that is all."

"Photographs? So more than one? And was I in any of them?"

He shook his head but I could tell he was lying and I moved forward menacingly,

"Or was I in all of them? How many Alberto?"

He hesitated then crumpled to his knees his hands held up beseechingly,

"I'm sorry, I did not mean any harm, I wanted to be rid of them. There were several and you were in some, I don't remember any more."

"What else did you give her Alberto? Did you really think I would not find out?"

He shook his head too terrified to speak now,

"I see, you chose to betray my trust, that is a shame….for all your family. You broke the deal I had with your family and now you must suffer the consequences but tell me why? What caused you to do so? I have always been fair with you."

"Si Signor Marcus but the blond haired boy, he shows interest in Lilliana and she likes him. I am afraid my granddaughter will be taken into the foundation and I will never see her again."

"Alec has been speaking to Lilliana? Where?"

"She goes to pick flowers on a Saturday for the church altar, he meets her in the woods and flirts with her as he helps her. I had to protect my granddaughter."

"You should have come to me Alberto, I would have warned him to leave her alone."

"She told him we are friends and he just laughed, he said you are not powerful inside the foundation, that he is more important."

"Did he? Now that is interesting. I will make you a promise Alberto, you tell me exactly what you gave the women and I will make sure Alec never touches Lilliana again."

He slumped in relief and babbled out the things he had given to Miss Swan's friend which turned out to be far more dangerous than I had imagined. I hadn't even known such evidence of our existence still survived in Volterra but then the family had been cunning and knowing what I was it was only sensible for them to keep such documents as a safety net but now these women had them and one was snooping around and would need to be stopped. Deaths were unavoidable sometimes but too many always led to questions and they could be awkward and dangerous in themselves. Still, I needed to act quickly so before he knew it was coming I grabbed Alberto, carried him to the

"So, the priest lied to us when he said the document had been taken from the town and it seems your family continued to spy on us and keep evidence of our true nature. I am disappointed in you, all of you. Did you keep the secret to yourself or have you told everyone?"

"Only me Signor, just as we agreed, only the eldest male in the family."

"Good."

I needed to act quickly so before he knew it was coming I grabbed Alberto, carried him to the top of his steep wooden stairs and threw him down to land with a broken neck at the bottom, a terrible but understandable accident for a drunken old fool who was unsteady on his feet. As I stood over him I repeated my promise that Lilliana would never again be bothered by Alec.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

 **Bella**

I felt decidedly mellow when I finally drove back to civilization and returned the car to the rental firm walking a final couple of blocks back to my apartment. I made coffee, threw my laundry in the machine and cranked up my laptop which I was sure had enjoyed the rest as much as I had. Sipping my coffee, the one thing I couldn't do without, I checked my emails. There were several from Renee and Phil with photo's attached showing them enjoying their vacation and hoping I wasn't still bothering with superstitious nonsense. So much for her warning that she was not taking her cell phone with her!

I'm sure she would have been over the moon if I told her I had taken an assignment to write about weddings from the perspective of a bride and then supplied her with two or three grand kids. She didn't seem to understand that I was like her, I enjoyed the excitement of doing something different every day, of having no ties so I could just take off when the mood took me and not have to consider anyone else, that's why I didn't even have a goldfish or a cat, they were ties!

It suddenly occurred to me that I hadn't received an acknowledgment from Volterra yet but when I checked my spam folder there it was. I clicked it open only to find my request had been turned down. The editor felt that under the circumstances, with the number of tourists that invaded the town every March they really didn't want anything that would appear to insinuate there might be something odd about Volterra. He did include a few clippings which were a sample of the "unexplained" deaths in and around the town that I had requested. One was probably a robbery/murder although the perpetrator had never been caught and the other was a young man who had been found dead at the bottom of a gully, his neck broken and the body bled out from the wound where he had fallen after a jagged rock had cut his carotid artery, nothing very suspicious or unexplained there, but what about the photograph?

Reading on, the editor explained he had lived in Volterra all his life as had most of his staff and none of them had ever seen the man in the photograph hence their considered opinion was that he had been a tourist and could have come from anywhere. So, I'd reached a dead end which was a shame because I had almost convinced myself that there was something strange going on in that walled town.

Face it Bella, there are no such things as vampires and the guy in the photo was just a coincidence or the photo's had been faked by someone who probably wanted more publicity for the town, yes that made sense, a mysterious man who didn't age living or even visiting a town that had been home to a nest of vampires until the courageous St Marcus drove them out would certainly be a draw. It would be interesting to know just how he had managed that, I would have to find out. Thinking back to my conversation with Sally I smiled, I doubted St Marcus, if that's who he was supposed to be, came marching in with a flame thrower slung low on his hip like some wild west gun slinger. You would have thought he would have left people the information they needed to kill vampires though, just in case they returned after his death.

Well, it was time to put the subject to bed and begin a hunt for my next venture. I had narrowed the ideas down to three or four, another shot at the Bermuda triangle which really was a lost cause, it had been done to death unless, that is, an ocean liner went missing inside it sometime soon. The Chupacabra but then that took me back to vampires so maybe not, Big Foot or shape shifters and I was leaning towards the last. The other commissions I had been offered were really outside my sphere of interest, I loved the spooky and macabre and Sally did too so I could just imagine her face if I told her I was going to investigate the influence of global warming on creature tourism trends. We'd both be yawning or asleep before the first paragraph was written.

When Sally popped round to see if I had anything for her I laid out a short list of choices and we more or less agreed on Shape shifters, they were interesting and, more importantly, widespread.

"I'd give anything to actually catch a real shape shifter or big foot or…"

"Or a vampire?"

She shuddered,

"Well, let's not go that far, but don't you sometimes think it would be cool if even one of these supernatural beings actually existed and we were the ones to discover their whereabouts?"

"I guess it would be fun and lucrative, who knows, we may yet get our names up in lights."

"Yeah, in our dreams. By the way, Bella, did you get any information about that creepy guy in the photo?"

"No, but the editor of the local news website thinks he was a tourist, he and his staff have lived in Volterra since the beginning of time and they've never seen him. No spooky murders either, I think we've reached the end of the line unless of course you just happen to know where we can find him?"

She shook her head,

"Nope, but I did some digging too, I wasn't going to let you have all the fun. You know I told you an old guy had given me that stuff?"

"Yeah"

"Well, guess what, he's dead. He had an accident, fell down the stairs in his house after coming home from the bar, dead drunk, and broke his neck."

"Wow! Bad timing, I was going to suggest we try contacting him but now it really is a dead end."

"Yeah, poor old Alberto Sonsino."

I stopped and stared at her.

"What? What did you say his name was?"

"Alberto."

"No, his surname, Sonsino? That was the name of the guy mentioned in one of the documents. His name was Alfredo Sonsino. He was the guy who saw the attack on the young girl and he was found dead with a broken neck, now hows that for a coincidence Sally? And there was another document written by a member of the Sonsino family too if memory serves me right."

My friend stared at me part astonished and part skeptical.

"It has to be a coincidence though, doesn't it? Or are you saying the old guy who gave me that bundle was a part of the same family, a family who knew something about the people who lived in Volterra? That maybe there were vampires living there? That's crazy Bella and we'd be even crazier to say it out loud to anyone."

"Maybe but listen, the old guy gave you the documents that included a series of photographs of a man who appeared to be Immortal, right?"

"Well, I guess so but…."

I didn't give her time to go on,

"Those documents seemed to say the same thing, that there were vampires or at least some people who appeared to drink a girl's blood in Volterra. People who were seen by a priest going into that big building, the one Alfredo called the foundation."

She hesitated a little then nodded,

"OK, I'll give you that."

"Remember the legend of three brothers who took over the vampire world from some Romanians."

"Yes, Stefan and Vladimir."

"Right, well there was another document that mentions three brothers living in the citadel inside Volterra, I think it meant the huge building with the clock tower and one of them, from her detailed description, was the guy in the photographs, a man possibly named Marcus. Coincidence again? St Marcus and Marcus? Maybe, but the oldest document was written in Latin and that also describes three brothers living in an Italian town and names the three Aro, Caius, and….Marcus. They are described as immortal and monsters who bathe in blood sounds like vampires again to me."

"Are you serious? You should listen to yourself, Bella. It's all just lies, a wind up to make the town sound cooler than it really is and to frighten people. There are no such things as vampires, we know, we researched them for long enough."

I could see she was genuinely frightened by what we appeared to have found.

"I don't know Sally, maybe I'm mad like the Sonsino family, who knows? But I can't help feeling there's something to all this. Not forgetting my first email, the one with the photo attached went missing and then the editor refused to put my second or my request up on the website."

"Whoa! Now you're sounding paranoid, the vampires not only exist but they run the news website in Volterra too? Come on Bella, we need a drink or three before this is going to sound like more than lunatic ravings to me."

I had to agree and we went to the bar on the corner for a couple of beers.

 **Jasper**

I found the apartment I was looking for and it was currently unoccupied which made it easy for me to gain entry and look around. As soon as I opened the door and the scents from inside hit me I knew there was something wrong. There were the scents of two woman in here, one was a stranger but the other was familiar, very familiar, although I couldn't put a name or a face to it which was weird. There were no photographs laying around to help me and I went straight to the laptop only to find it secured by a password.

I sat looking at the screen which was filled with a picture of a woodland scene portraying fairytale creatures peeping out from trees and through branches, fairies, elves, fauns, unicorns, wolves, witches and in one corner a dark figure all in black with glowing golden eyes. Now what was that all about? I ran through a few of the most common passwords with no luck before something I couldn't explain urged me to try Swan or Forks as a password so I tried one and then the other but still had no luck. I have no idea why I tried Heathcliffe but it worked. The screen disappeared to be replaced by another with a photograph of a man and a woman holding a baby. The man was dressed as a police officer and I thought he looked familiar but it wasn't until I studied his uniform that the memory surfaced. it was Charlie Swan, the Chief of police in Forks Washington. Well, this certainly wasn't his home so could it belong to the woman in the photograph? I didn't know her yet I knew I recognised the scent which meant that the apartment must belong to the child, now grown. The moment I connected the name to the child everything came flooding back as if a dam had burst allowing all my memories of Forks to flood in.

The child was Bella Swan! Edward's girlfriend who we had left in Forks over four years ago. No one had mentioned her, not even Edward, it was as if we had forgotten all about her which was odd because she had been someone we all knew and someone Edward had been very fond of at the time. If I closed my eyes I could see her face and it struck me how beautiful she had been even then, she must be even more beautiful now she had matured into a woman.

Why had her name not registered with me when Marcus first mentioned it? Could someone have meddled with my memory in order to erase Bella from it? If so, then why? Bella had meant nothing to me personally yet I knew it must be true because the strange sensation that had been driving me crazy for years had suddenly vanished.

I didn't have time to think about it now, I had to find out what and how much Bella knew about Marcus and our kind and get out before she returned. I scanned her document folder, there were a lot of files there but luckily all were labeled and it struck me that Bella was deeply interested in the supernatural or at least the creatures who lived beyond the everyday world and wondered if this interest had been stoked by knowing us.

Browsing a couple of files it didn't take long to realize that Bella didn't believe in any of the creatures she had studied, she had worked hard with her research partner to debunk the myths. The latest folder was marked Vampires and inside was a sub folder marked Volterra which was more worrying. I skimmed this and my body went rigid, Bella knew or at least suspected far too much to be safe, she even had the word Volturi written down with a question mark beside it. We had killed for far less than this and there were other documents only mentioned in this file but not saved on the computer, or at least not that I could find in the time I had.

It was vital that I find out where these documents were and destroy them before Marcus or, God forbid, Aro found out they existed. I stared around the room, thinking to myself where would you put your files, Bella? Then I heard footsteps coming down the hall, she was coming back so there was no more time to hunt for files now. I logged off the computer, checked I hadn't moved anything, and vanished through the open bathroom window just as I heard her key in the lock.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Bella

You know how it is when you get the feeling that someone has been in your room, messing with your stuff? Well, that's just how I felt when Sally and I got back from the bar. She excused herself to use the bathroom while I put the kettle on then checked all the windows were shut which they were and that my passport and things were still in the drawer in my bedroom, which they were too, yet I couldn't shake myself of the feeling that someone had been in here while we were out. Sure the doorman in the building had a spare key but Jim had been here as long as the building had stood and he was too lazy to trudge up here just to poke about besides he wouldn't do that anyway, I trusted him, and no one else had a key. I poured hot water over the instant coffee grounds and took the mugs back into the lounge before opening my laptop and the security screen looked back at me, so that hadn't been tampered with either. I was beginning to think all this talk of vampires had really spooked me!

Sally and I decided we would give it a week and then start organizing our next trip, she had a birthday party to go to at the weekend and I still had a few loose ends to tidy up, there were always bills that needed paying and some maintenance now I was back. I wanted to paint my bedroom and buy new furnishings to match and I really should get some letters written, Renee preferred a letter to a phone call just so she could complain I didn't get in touch as often as I should and I owed both Angela Webber and Jake Black a reply.

"It's cold in your bathroom, do you have to leave that window open?"

"Open? It's only ajar Sally."

"Yeah well, we L.A hothouse flowers don't like a draught. What did you think of Tiny Tim? He's got the hots for you."

I groaned knowing she was only winding me up. Tiny Tim was the bar owner's son and he was at least six foot tall and weighed around 250 lbs.

"You'd think someone that size would have a brain cell or two tucked away somewhere wouldn't you?"

She laughed, he was the only guy I knew who had L and R written on his trainers so he got them on the right feet! He was sweet tempered but had certainly been at the back of the queue when smarts were being dealt out.

"Actually, I was busy watching Miguel, he couldn't take his eyes off you."

She stuck her tongue out and gave me a single finger salute, Miguel was the bartender and as smart as Tim was not, unfortunately, he knew it and made sure everyone else did too.

Sally yawned,

"I think I'll crash out if that's OK with you, I'm shattered,"

"Sure go ahead, your bed's made up."

Sally often stayed over, especially if we were working and the spare room was designated her personal space.

"I'm just going over my files again before I tuck them away and open a new folder for our next adventure."

"Night"

When she'd gone I topped up my coffee and went into my documents but as I scanned down for the one I wanted something struck me, they had been opened recently. True I had looked at them earlier but the time on the folder was wrong. It showed that someone had been looking through them while Sally and I had been at the bar, so someone had been in here, someone who could access my computer and leave without a trace! What the hell was going on here?

I rechecked the door slipping the security chain on nervous suddenly then locked the windows after checking the fire escape was clear. How had someone gotten in? I remembered the bathroom window I always left ajar but there was no access to it from the fire escape, it was a sheer drop six floors to the ground. Unless I was being stalked by Houdini or Spider Man that was out which led to the very uncomfortable thought that my intruder might be a vampire. No, that was crazy wasn't it? Yet everything had changed since I opened the bundle of papers that an old man, now dead, had thrust into Sally's hands. A bundle that seemed to be aimed at proving that not only did vampires exist but they had made their home in Volterra which boasted of being the safest place from a vampire attack.

I checked again just in case the other files had also been opened but it appeared the only one that had been scrutinized was the folder containing my notes on Volterra and vampires. I jumped up suddenly fearful that my intruder had found and stolen the documents from Volterra but when I checked down the back of my sofa where I had thrust them earlier I was relieved to feel the manilla envelope was still there and far so its contents were also safe.

I pulled it free and opened it just to make sure everything was still in there then looked around for somewhere safe to hide it, if I lost this then I would have lost my only proof, if you could call it that, that vampires were real. I quickly dismissed the obvious places before remembering there was a space behind my bed where the skirting board was loose. I took the envelope with me into the bedroom relieved to find there was just enough room behind the loose board to hide the documents. Once my bed was pushed back against the wall again it was impossible to tell the hiding place existed.

Having made myself yet more fresh coffee, after all, I wasn't going to sleep after what I'd just discovered, I sat at my computer and tapped the name Alfredo Sonsino in the search box before hitting the button. Gone were all ideas of a new assignment, I wanted to know the truth about Volterra because I firmly believed that the walled town held secrets. There were no results or rather too many, I guessed it wasn't an unusual enough name so I tried Alberto and this year and this time I got several hits, a news article which reported his death from which I gleaned that he had once been an influential man in town. Digging further I discovered he had become involved in a town movement to have the historic building and clock tower in the center of town open to tourists. The petition had gained a thousand signatures with his help before his wife was killed during a burglary at their house and he withdrew from the movement. Could the two things be connected? After all, the building connected to the clock tower was the same building described in the document written by another Sonsino as the "lair" of the vampires.

He was survived by a son Bernard and granddaughter Lilliana so there was still a way to discover if Alberto had left any more documents if only I could get in contact with his son. I googled Bernard Sonsino, Volterra, and was relieved to discover that he lived in the town and scribbled down his telephone number to ring in the morning.

I wrote a list of people I could try to trace including the three brothers and two Romanians of myth. Typing in Aro, Caius, and Marcus together got me nowhere which was strange because if they were mentioned in legends I would have expected to find some mention of them somewhere. Stefan and Vladimir got me one hit in an article written for a magazine entitled "Vampires through history" and reading through the article quickly I discovered that these two were reputed to be the kings of the vampires until they were overthrown by three brothers, the mysterious trio mentioned yet again.

Then I tried St Marcus, Volterra, and found a lot of hits so I scanned a few at random and all ran in much the same vein, in the distant past Volterra had reputedly been cursed by vampires who hunted their quarry there on a regular basis until the people held a special service and asked God to intervene on their behalf. A month later a man arrived in town and told them he was God's emissary, there to banish the vampires from the town for good. This was more or less what Sally and I had discovered during our research but there was more. It wasn't clear if he told them his name was Marcus or Marco and there was no other name mentioned but one article had described him as very tall and muscular with a pale face and long dark hair that fell to his shoulders. Another mentioned he was very strong with strangely colored eyes and a third mentioned red or reddish black eyes.

I felt my hands shake on the keyboard and clenched my fists to still them. These writer's, between them, had described the man in the photographs exactly, although I had no way of knowing the color of his eyes as the only color photograph showed him at too great a distance to distinguish such things.

Marcus had appeared centuries ago as a kind of vampire hunter and became a saint for his work in freeing Volterra from the creatures so how could this be the same man as in the photographs and drawings not to mention the documents? Unless…..unless he was a vampire himself and immortal which begged the question, in that case, was he still in Volterra? And why had he chased the others of his kind from the town, or hadn't he? Had he instead made sure that people thought he had so they wouldn't look for them anymore and make it safe for vampires to live there? It was a horrible thought but maybe Volterra was safe from vampires only because vampires lived there incognito and forbade the killing of humans to keep their presence in the town a secret.

I tapped Volterra into google and hit photographs to find there were pages of them, most showing the architecture or the festival and I sat sipping my now cold coffee and scanning each photograph for any sign of the elusive Marcus. I was losing hope when finally I spotted someone who could have been him standing on a balcony that was close to the clock tower, the foundation building! I saved the photo then blew it up on screen and stared hard at the face, the size was about right and the figure had the long dark hair that reached his shoulders, he also appeared to be very pale but that could be a trick of the light.

Finally, I printed out four different photographs, all of the festival and spread them out on the table. With a magnifying glass, the face was more distinct and I was pretty sure it was the same man but I wanted a second opinion and waited impatiently for dawn to arrive then watched as the hands of my watch clicked slowly round to 7.30 a.m. I couldn't wait any longer and was just about to burst in on Sally's sleep when I heard her rise and then the shower turned on. Impatiently I made coffee and toast and when she appeared I nodded at the photographs.

"While you eat breakfast, prepared with my own fair hands I hasten to add, I want you to study those photo's and tell me if you recognize anyone in them."

She frowned looking puzzled then bit into her toast as she sat down to study the photos carefully. I put the magnifying glass at her elbow then moved back to give her space, I couldn't hover over her for fear I might influence her decision which wouldn't be helpful at all.

After studying all four with the naked eye she then picked up the magnifying glass and started over, spending so long on each I could have screamed my finally she straightened up looking at me with an expression of concern and I knew she'd seen it.

"You saw something, didn't you? Which photo? Who?"

She shook her head,

"If I answer you then I'm as crazy as you are, not only that but I'm admitting there is something to that whole vampires are alive and well and living in Volterra story and I'm not sure I'm ready to do that Bella, it scares me."

"Me too but you can't argue with what you see."

"Sure I can if it will let me sleep at night."

"Sally, please"

She got up and I thought for a minute she was going to leave without telling me but then she pushed a photograph across to me without a word and tapped one face, the same one I had thought I recognized.

"When was it taken?"

"Five years ago."

She shook her head as if by doing so she could deny the truth.

"I can't do this Bella. I'm no coward but I can't believe this, I can't go on looking for something that will turn my life inside out and fill the rest of my days with fear. I'm sorry but this is it, this is where I quit and if you've got any sense you'll do the same. Get rid of these,"

She shoved the photographs into an untidy pile.

"And the documents I gave you, burn it all and choose something new to pursue, stay away from Volterra and anything to do with that man while you still can."

At this she turned around and left without another word and I doubted I would ever see Sally again, she was genuinely terrified and I couldn't blame her, but neither could I just drop this story, I needed to know the truth however dangerous the journey and the resulting knowledge might be.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

 **Jasper**

I had remained close enough to hear the conversation in Bella's apartment and could tell that something was bugging her, something was bugging me too. How could I have forgotten about her so completely? Even at a distance I could feel the pull, Bella had some significance in my life, it was the lost memory of her that had been sending me crazy for years but why had I forgotten her? Who could possibly have wanted me to forget her? Or was it just me? No, thinking back it would appear that we had all forgotten Bella, all meaning the Cullen family, so why would someone want us all to forget about Bella and more importantly, who? These were questions I had to find answers to but for now, it was more important to find out the extent of her knowledge so I could find a way to keep her safe.

I could hear her tapping away on the computer keys then stopping to read whatever she had called up. I heard the rustling of papers and wondered if she were merely reading or hiding documents she knew could be dangerous. Bella had dug herself in so deep I honestly didn't know if she would survive. If Marcus discovered how much she knew he would have no choice but to order her killed, to do otherwise would be to break the very laws he had helped to write.

Bella was a human who knew about our existence even down to names and a little of our history. As she explained things to her friend I was shocked at just how much information she had gleaned, the documents she held were dynamite and in her hands, they could be either her death warrant …...or ours.

Her friend had the right idea, forget everything and stay away from the subject, she was frightened and that was good because it meant she would cause us no problems but Bella was curious and from what I could remember stubborn too. How was I going to keep her safe if she insisted on delving deeper into the mystery of Volterra?

I followed the friend back to her own apartment where she locked herself in and paced about too agitated to relax. Finding a position where I could see into her apartment wasn't easy and when I finally found one all I could see was her back but I could hear the sound of paper being ripped up and then she turned and walked to the waste bin where she deposited what looked like a lot of research notes. Maybe those she had collected on her journey through Europe with Bella, again a good sign. As I continued to watch my phone vibrated and taking it out I saw the caller was Marcus, I would need to be very careful now.

"Major, how is your task coming along? Have you discovered what this Miss Swan is looking for?"

"Not yet although I think the photograph she has is one of the festivals taken some time ago. Why she should hone in on you I don't yet know."

"Oh, I'm afraid there is more than just a photograph. Someone in Volterra gave her a file of information collated over the centuries that seems to point to there being vampires in Volterra, real vampires, and naming me as one of them."

My heart sank, he knew more than I did and I could imagine where this conversation was leading.

"From what I've heard she is still skeptical about the existence of vampires and her friend flatly refuses to believe in such things."

"So they have been discussing the possibility? That's bad Major. How dangerous do you think these girls are? This book that is to be published soon makes me nervous. I think we must find a way to ensure it never sees the light of day, and as for the two women? If I do not act now then my brothers will do so as soon as they hear of this situation and hear they will. We were lucky to intercept this before it came to Aro's attention, he would think me very careless, especially if it were to come to light that the person who gave the women their information and possible proof was someone I have protected over the years."

"You know who gave them this file?"

"Yes, one of the Sonsino family. An ancestor saw too much and couldn't keep his mouth shut, he blabbed to his priest and only by the good fortune of this priest insisting that a doctor was called to attend the "sick" man were we warned in time to stop it going any further. The unfortunate man met with an accident which sealed his lips permanently but the family had already amassed some documents that could be awkward for us if they came to light and their priest had possession of the account signed by the unfortunate human and witnessed by himself which had been spirited out of town, we assumed to safety in Rome. I made a pact with the surviving family members that I would look after them so long as those documents remained hidden. Unfortunately, I couldn't kill the remaining family for fear they had left the documents with someone who could ensure they reached the hands of powerful men who might believe them and act on the information."

"Yet the family handed the documents to the women? So, they had been in Volterra all this time. Why would they do that now, after so long? Surely they knew it would be signing their own death warrants?"

"I think my contact in the family was working on Dutch courage when he handed them over, he felt his granddaughter was in great danger from one of our kind, that I had betrayed him by allowing it to develop and this was his way of getting his own back."

"What happened to him?"

"Let's just say he won't be handing over anything else."

So, what do you want me to do? Steal back the papers?"

"I fear it has gone too far for that to be sufficient Major. The women may have copies by now, they may even have passed the whole file on to the authorities."

"No, they are still deciding whether the documents are authentic, I don't think there are any copies, not yet. If I could steal the originals back wouldn't that be sufficient?"

There was a long pause and I realized Marcus had sensed there was something else going on here.

"Why is it so important to you that the women survive?"

"It's not, I just don't think it would be a good idea to kill them when the book is due out any day. If we cannot stop publication then the murders would only serve to make the book a bigger seller and someone might begin to think that she could have been on the track of something real."

"Murder? Oh, I think we can manage something with a little more finesse than that Major. An accident maybe? Or even a street attack that went horribly wrong. I'm sure I don't need to say anymore, I can leave it in your capable hands but I want the documents first. We must have those before you dispose of the women."

Something occurred to me as I thought about this and how to get around it, how could I kill Bella? I first needed to understand what had happened and how I could have forgotten about her for all this time.

"You said a doctor told you about the witness statement the priest wrote out and witnessed?"

"Yes."

"Would that doctor be Carlisle?"

He laughed softly,

"I wondered if you'd pick up on that, yes it was, and of course he came straight back and informed us of what he had learned."

"So, he was indirectly responsible for the man's death, did he know that?"

"Of course he did, although I doubt he realized what would happen as he warned us. Still, Carlisle isn't naïve, he understands how important it is that our secret stays just that, a secret. I know he seems terrible innocent at times but trust me Major when I say Carlisle has said and done much that he now prefers to forget. He above most understands what happens when humans learn of our existence, he and his father were vampire hunters centuries before the likes of Van Helsing was ever conjured into being in literature. Hysteria is difficult to control, many innocents died along with some vampires and many others who were thought to be our allies, witches and warlocks and the poor demented souls who thought they changed shape at the full moon. By killing one we can save many, you must remember that Major."

I had been gently warned to remember my role in our world and changed tack,

"I'll try to get the documents from the women but what about the publication?"

"We can do nothing about the magazine article although alone it is not terribly dangerous, Miss Swan does not actually avow that vampires really exist, she just tantalizes her readers with "what if?" I will bring pressure to bear to ensure the book is not published, any copies of the manuscript will conveniently disappear but the documents must be retrieved and once you have them I think it would be safer for all if both women were to meet with a fatal accident. Perhaps it might help you in your endeavors if the researcher were to lose her life first. It would upset Miss Swan and make it easier to apply pressure to hand over what she holds."

I wasn't happy with killing either girl but better Bella's friend than Bella herself and I would ensure the girl did not suffer.

"A gruesome end would add to the pressure Major, perhaps something spectacular? A public suicide? Or maybe a horrific accident, I'll leave it to you, but contact me as soon as you have the documents and have disposed of the problem. I have a little tidying up of my own to take care of here in Volterra. Please move swiftly Major, it would be better for all concerned."

When he had rung off I sat watching Bella's friend, a girl who was now under a sentence of death with me the executioner. I couldn't afford to be soft hearted where she was concerned, I needed to have space and time to help Bella escape her fate without being under suspicion myself. Killing the girl in the apartment didn't bother me, she knew too much and it was her own fault she was about to meet an untimely end but I knew it would hurt Bella who was obviously fond of her. Perhaps if I could make it appear that she had committed suicide because she was scared of what she and Bella had discovered it might scare Bella into giving me the documents when I asked for them and make her see how dangerous the knowledge she possessed could be. On the other hand that might make her suspicious that I had killed her friend and I would rather she didn't see me as a killer, I wanted to be her friend…..didn't I?

All I knew at present was that I felt the need to protect Bella despite having forgotten her so completely all this time which begged the question, had Marcus been right? Had someone been messing with my memory and if so why? There was only one way to find out, I needed to speak to Darius to discover if there was a vampire with such a gift and if so what his link was to me or to the Cullens.

Much as I hated the thought I could see connections to Carlisle in this. He had been the doctor called upon by the priest when one of his parishioners had seen vampires at a kill and as far as I knew all of us had forgotten about Bella, the girl who would one day make a connection to Volterra and vampires. A sickening thought crossed my mind, had Alice seen something and warned Carlisle? Is that why we left Forks so abruptly? And was it possible that Carlisle had somehow ensured we would forget her thinking it would ensure our safety as a family if we had no connection to Bella when she came to the attention of the Volturi? There was always the possibility that Bella's information had come through Edward in Alice's vision so severing the connection between us would have been the safest and most sensible thing to do. Of course, things didn't quite work out that way in the end. It seemed fate had handed her another way into our world.

I would take care of business here tonight and then speak to Darius, after all it might take him a few days to get back to me if he didn't already know the answer and gifts were notoriously circumspect, to announce a powerful gift was to invite the interest of the Volturi and not everyone liked or trusted Aro and his brothers. Only then would I know how to move forward but whatever I discovered I knew I would need to find a way to keep Bella safe from the consequences of her actions, however dangerous for both of us that might prove to be.


	17. Chapter 17

****Chapter Seventeen****

 ** **Bella****

I jumped, woken from a deep sleep by a sudden shrill noise and looked around sleepy eyed for my alarm clock, then when I couldn't see it I checked my watch, it was four in the morning so who the hell was ringing me? I fumbled for the receiver by the side of the bed before realizing I had fallen asleep at the table, my cheek resting on the keyboard of my laptop.

I rubbed my eyes and stumbled to the phone,

"Yes? Sally, is that you? This had better be good ringing me at this hour girl."

"Miss Swan? Isabella Swan?"

I didn't recognize the deep male voice and became cautious.

"Who is this?"

"My name is Detective Clark, Matt Clark. I'm sorry to trouble you at such an hour but it is important that I speak to you. Would it possible for me to come up or would you rather come down to the station?"

I knew the night clerk would have checked this guy's credentials before allowing him to make the call so I agreed for him to come up in ten minutes taking the time to wash my face with cold water to wake myself up, shut my laptop, and tidy up my papers, all the while worrying that something must have happened to Renee or worse still Charlie.

When Detective Clark rapped on the door I was ready and opened it warily, the security chain still on,

"Can I see your badge please?"

He flicked open his wallet and I noted his badge number before stepping aside and inviting him in,

"Sorry, but you can't be too careful. My dad taught me that, he's a cop too."

He smiled wanly,

"No, you can't and I don't blame you, he's right. Which precinct does he work out of?"

I explained the situation and he nodded looking as weary as I felt although I was relieved this visit obviously had nothing to do with Charlie.

"Could we sit down Miss Swan? I'm afraid I have some bad news and I need to ask you a few questions."

I sat on the edge of the chair motioning him to take a seat on the sofa opposite.

"Is it my mom?"

He shook his head, and took out his notebook opening it to a page filled with scrawled notes,

"No. I'm sorry if you thought it was."

Then took out his notebook opening it to a page filled with scrawled notes,

"I understand you knew a Miss Sally Baker?"

"Knew?"

My heart sank and I felt sick, noting he had used the past tense,

"What's happened to Sally? She was fine when she left here."

He looked up at me keenly,

"Was she with you earlier?"

"Yes, no, not last night, the night before, she left here this morning, I mean yesterday morning. Sorry, I just woke up and I'm a bit confused."

He nodded absently as he worked out what I meant.

"Miss Baker was with you the night before last and left the next morning, yesterday morning?"

I nodded,

"Yes."

"Was she OK when she left here?"

"Yes, she was fine why?"

He cleared his throat then ignored my question instead firing more of his own at me.

"Was she concerned about anything? A boyfriend? Her health maybe?"

"No, she and her boyfriend were happy as far as I know and she never said anything about being ill and I know she would have, we work together, we are, were, close."

"Then I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news but it appears that Miss Baker committed suicide a few hours ago."

I felt sick now and began to tremble,

"What? That's impossible, she wouldn't, how?"

He hesitated,

"Her body was found at the foot of her apartment building, it appears that she slashed her wrists after drinking a bottle of bourbon and then jumped from her apartment window. She was obviously taking no chances. Do you have any idea why she should want to take her own life? She did leave a short note addressed to you which is why I'm here."

"Can…...can I see it?"

I felt numb and when he held out a piece of familiar pink note paper sealed in an evidence bag my hand shook as I took it.

The note was short,

"Bella, I'm so sorry but I can't go on, life is just too terrifying. Sally."

"It's…..it doesn't make any sense, why would she kill herself?"

"I was hoping maybe you could tell me as she addressed her last words to you. It sounds like she thinks you would understand."

I shook my head trying to look totally baffled as the last word of her note echoed in my head "terrifying". Had she really been so scared that she would take her own life? I had to be careful here not to say too much.

"I'm afraid I don't. We were trying to decide what topic to choose for our next assignment."

"What exactly is it that the two of you did?"

"We write, or rather we wrote, in depth articles, for magazines mostly although I have written a book too. Sally was my research assistant and friend, it's interesting work and we got to travel a lot."

"I see, what kind of articles? Anything that might get you into trouble with the wrong people so to speak?"

I laughed bitterly, he thought we did expose pieces! I tried to think of the easiest way to explain our genre.

"No, not that kind of thing, we research the supernatural, our last piece, an article and my book were on vampire lore around the world although we concentrated mostly on Europe."

He nodded looking a little perplexed,

"Vampires? Does it pay well?"

"Actually, you'd be surprised, lot's of people like to read about the supernatural, especially the creatures."

"Creatures? Right. And you didn't have any problems on your travels?"

"No, none."

"What about your next project? Anything there? Or your last one maybe?"

"Ah, well, we had an article published six months ago on the myth of the Salem witches and witches in general and a more recent one on dream catchers."

He had stopped writing, I think he was unsure what to put down, either that or he thought I was mad.

"OK, has your most recent article been published?"

"The magazine article yes but the book is due out in a few week's time."

"And are you sure that didn't contain anything that might have upset your friend? Or cause anyone to pressure her into suicide?"

"No, of course not."

"Was she upset by the subject matter? She said in her note that life was terrifying now."

I shook my head but as I did so I remembered her last words to me, how scared she had been and how she begged me to let the subject of Volterra go but surely she hadn't been scared enough to take her own life?

The detective cleared his throat and I realized I had fallen silent.

"Is there something you should be telling me, Miss. Swan?"

I shook my head,

"No, and if you're asking me did a vampire kill Sally then no, they don't exist."

"Some people would disagree with you."

"I know, but that doesn't alter the fact."

"Is that what your article and the book state?"

I thought about the last chapter of my book and the few words at the end of the article,

"Yes, in the main, although I try to leave a little doubt to keep the readers thinking about what I've written."

"Such as what? Vampires might exist?"

"Not as such, besides you said Sally killed herself and it certainly sounds like it but I can't imagine why. There's nothing I can think of that would push her over the edge, she was so full of life and trust me she didn't believe in, or fear, vampires."

"I hear that a lot in my line of work and sometimes it's something well hidden but I'll find it eventually. Well, thank you for your time. I'm sorry to have woken you up but as you are the only person marked as a friend in her address book in the city and her suicide note was addressed to you you'll appreciate I had to speak to you."

"No, I'm glad you did. I'll ring her dad, he'll be devastated."

"Yes, I did inform him but I understand he's sick and can't travel? His brother is flying in to make the formal identification."

"Yes, he has MS and he's pretty much bed ridden. I'll ring him later."

The detective left after thanking me again and I locked my door behind him feeling suddenly very afraid myself.

I knew there was no way Sally would have killed herself like that, she didn't drink much and when she did it was just a couple of beers when we were out, the Southern Comfort she kept in for me if I stayed over and that bottle was well over twelve months old. As for jumping out of the window, she hated heights but what could I tell the police? That I feared she had been murdered to shut her up because we had discovered that vampires really existed in a small town in Italy? I'd be locked up in a padded cell! But was that even possible? What was more crazy, that she'd committed suicide or that she'd been murdered by vampires? Maybe I was the one going mad, maybe poor Sally had been so scared by what we thought we'd found that she killed herself. She was highly strung but that was pushing it. I considered calling Charlie and asking for his advice but something stopped me from drawing him into this. If and it was a huge if, vampires did exist and one had killed Sally then was I next? Could it have been a vampire who broke into my apartment and went through my laptop to discover how much we knew? I ran into my bedroom and pulled the bed away from the wall relieved to find the bundle of papers still where I had hidden them. I suddenly felt sick and ran into the bathroom just making the sink before I threw up and then sank to my knees shaking violently as I began to cry for Sally and for myself as I finally understood just how much danger I was in if we had been right and the vampires knew we were aware of their existence.

When I finally pulled myself together I understood that I couldn't stay here, if the vampires were in LA and had murdered Sally then they would be coming for me next. I had to get away but where could I run? If they had traced us here then they already knew where I lived and had already broken in once so why had they killed Sally and not me? Had they thought she had the Sonsino documents? After all, he had handed them to her and he was dead now, so had Alfredo Sonsino told his murderer who he had given the incriminating documents to?

I grabbed my battered travel bag and began to throw things into it as I racked my brains for somewhere safe to hide until I could work out what to do. Now is the time it would have been great if the usual vampire weapons worked, I had garlic in the fridge, salt in the cupboard although I wasn't sure that worked on vampires and a crucifix somewhere in my jewellery box but as we had both agreed, those things only worked on Dracula or vampires who were gullible and had read Bram Stoker and I wasn't prepared to risk my life depending on that. Maybe daylight would work though, that was one weapon or at least one thing that prevented vampires from moving around that we had found a constant in older documentation and in legends.

I grabbed my bag and left my apartment only to return when I realized I had left my purse behind in my panic to get away. I had no idea when or if I would ever return and no idea where to go, my only plan was to get outside now the sun had risen.


	18. Chapter 18

****Chapter Eighteen****

 **Bella**

Once out in the sunshine I walked quickly to the corner coffee bar and picked up a double espresso to go, I would need the caffeine hit to keep my mind working. Then I found a seat in the small park a block away and sat where no shadow could reach me taking a sip of the hot bitter liquid to settle my nerves.

"Hello Bella, it's been a long time."

The voice so close made me jump and I spilt hot coffee on my hand cursing as I swung around to see a stranger standing a few feet away in the shade of the tree I had avoided, the sun in my eyes allowing me to see only his outline but there was something about his voice that seemed familiar and suddenly I felt less afraid.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"You used to, as I used to know you, but I think somehow we both forgot there for a while. I'm Jasper, Jasper…

It came to me suddenly, a flash of memory and I jumped up dropping my coffee in the process.

"Hale, Jasper Hale. I remember. I'm sorry, I'm a little preoccupied."

"So I see. Can I buy you a fresh coffee? You seem to have lost that one."

I looked down to where the last dregs of my espresso were sinking into the parched earth at my feet.

"Oh, that's OK, it was my fault really"

"I'd still like to, if you aren't busy that is."

I vacillated, I should be running but as I had no idea where to go I decided coffee with an old friend would perhaps make me less jumpy and give me time to think. I guessed the vampires wouldn't take me out in broad daylight in front of witnesses, so I was probably safe for now if I stayed in public places and among people.

"OK, thank you."

I followed him along the tree shaded avenue to the coffee shop in the center of the park and inside to a booth near the back. I wouldn't be on public view here and there were plenty of people around. I certainly felt more relaxed in company.

Jasper left me for a few minutes then returned with two large coffees.

"I asked for the one with the most caffeine in for you. I hope that's OK, you look like you needed it."

I tasted the coffee he handed me and sighed,

"That'll do, although I might be bouncing off the walls by the time I finish it, thank you, Jasper. You know I haven't thought about the family in years, isn't that strange?"

He nodded and I noticed a look of wry amusement on his face,

"I don't think we thought about you much either and yes it's very strange. Are you going somewhere?"

I was puzzled, how did he know that? Then realized I had my huge bag with me.

"Oh, yes, or at least….Oh, God, I must sound like an idiot. I'm usually much more coherent than this."

"I guess you'd have to be in your line of work."

I looked at him in surprise, had he read my articles? I smiled up at him and that's when I noticed it, the beautiful warm golden color of his eyes.

 **Jasper**

I hadn't been sure quite how to approach Bella but when the detective left and she appeared carrying a bag soon after I knew I had to act. She was terrified and obviously on the run. I felt bad for her, hearing such shocking news but relieved I hadn't had to carry out my orders to kill the girl personally. Yes, I had helped by increasing her fear until she was so terrified that she took her own life but I hadn't laid a finger on her although I wasn't sure that distinction would make any difference if Bella found out. I had merely watched as she drank the contents of a bottle and slashed her wrists then once she passed out I entered through the open window and dropped her out, she never felt a thing.

I tried to act as normal as possible, approaching Bella in a public place and offering to buy her coffee which eased her fears a little, it was such a normal human thing to do.

Even now there was so much I was still struggling to remember and I could see from her expression that she was having the same problem which proved even more conclusively that some outside influence was responsible for our memory loss. The fact that Darius had been able to give me a lead on this didn't help my frame of mind, I wasn't happy to be following it even though it confirmed my own suspicions first ignited by Marcus.

I wasn't sure what had put Bella back on guard but as I studied her she went rigid with tension and stared at me intently.

"Is there something wrong? Did I say something to upset you? You look stressed."

She swallowed convulsively and frowned,

"Your…...your eyes, I don't remember them being that color and it…..I just…"

Her words tailed off and the silence lengthened as she decided what to do or say next.

"Are you OK?"

She shook her head twisting a paper napkin between her fingers before shredding it to pieces on the table.

"I….why did you leave? And why didn't I care? How come I forgot all about you? I mean Edward and I were…..well you know."

She worried her lip, a mannerism I remembered from Forks and I smiled,

"I see some things haven't changed."

She looked at me confused for a moment then stopped doing it with a wan smile.

"No, I guess some things don't. Where's Alice?"

That took me by surprise,

"Alice and I broke up a long time ago but I think she's still with the family. Why?"

Bella shrugged,

"I just thought….well you two were so close….but then I saw you with that woman...…and you aren't with the Cullens any longer?"

"No."

She stopped abruptly and I saw something had just occurred to her, something that was worrying her.

"I saw you."

"Me? Where?"

"I saw you in a dream. I keep having this dream over and over and I thought I knew the person in it although I couldn't remember. You were…...you were being chased."

I smiled,

"Chased? By whom?"

She bit her lip again and I felt anxiety building in her,

"They were chasing you, the black cloaked figures, the v…..so why were you in Volterra?"

I wasn't following her train of thought, she was skipping from one thing to another too fast to catch up and I guessed she was confused herself. She may have seen me in a dream but that wasn't the only place, I hadn't been aware that she had seen me with Heidi when she was in Volterra. Also, she had almost said the word vampire before stopping herself and that worried me more.

I decided to act ignorant and see what she said next.

"Where?"

Her face cleared as she made a decision,

"You know, you must, I saw you coming out of the building with that woman but you aren't a v...one of them, so why were you there, Jasper?"

I was thinking of a safe answer to give her when she continued having made a leap forward in her head.

"It's the family, isn't it? Are you hunters? Is that why I forgot all about you until just now? Was forgetting supposed to keep me safe?. If we were wrong about them then I guess it's safe to assume we were wrong about the hunters too. It's OK Jasper, I know, we worked it out and I think that's why Sally was murdered."

She leaned in close to whisper,

"We discovered that they, the v... really exist in Volterra. They killed her and they'll be coming for me next because they found out I have some documents proving it."

I let her believe she was correct, that I was a vampire hunter, hating the lie but unable to think of anything else that would explain things without giving away my secret and better she thinks that than the truth.

"Do you still have the papers with you, Bella?"

She hesitated then nodded and I could see her hands were shaking once more as she reached into her bag to fish them out.

"So what did you plan on doing Bella? Where were you going?"

She shrugged watched me as I slipped the items from the large envelope to examine them.

When I picked up one of the photographs recognizing Marcus' face among the crowd she jabbed a finger at it.

"That's him, one of those creatures who run Volterra. I think his name is Marcus, do you know him? Did you see him inside that building?"

I shook my head,

"No, I didn't see him and I think you should forget all about him and the documents here, forget everything you think you know. You'll never be safe if they think you are going to tell the authorities."

"Authorities? Sally and I weren't planning on telling anyone, she was so scared she wouldn't have said a word but they still killed her and tried to make it look like a suicide. Well, they may have fooled the police but I know better."

"Sally was the one he gave the documents to in Volterra?"

She nodded looking around again as if expecting black cloaked figures to appear from nowhere at any second.

"How do you know she didn't kill herself?"

Bella shook her head looking determined.

"I knew Sally, she would never have done it like that. We once talked about ways of killing ourselves, when a friend of hers took an overdose. Sally and I both agreed that was the best way, no pain and no fear, just sleep. She hated heights and she was squeamish about blood. No, it was a warning, they're coming for me and I have no idea how to protect myself or where to go."

She was wrong of course, a terrified girl took any way out that presented itself and maybe she didn't have any medication to overdose on.

"Then let me help you, I know how to protect you if you can trust me Bella but I need the documents, I have contacts who can keep them safe."

"Did you know about the papers? About the man in Volterra?"

"No, not until you just told me."

She stared at me hard and I knew she wasn't sure whether to trust me or not. Thankfully she hadn't asked me how I had gotten inside the Citadel or why I had gone in there, she was just too scared to be thinking straight which was working in my favor at present. Finally, she made a decision looking around nervously again.

"OK, I'll trust you. After all, I don't really have much choice right now do I? Where are we going?"

I told her I had to make contact with others in my group first and went to put the envelope in my pocket but she took it back shaking her head.

"So long as I have this maybe it'll keep me alive. They aren't going to kill me if they think I have the documents hidden away somewhere safe with someone who would give them to the authorities if I went missing. I think I'll put them in the post with a covering letter to a friend who will keep them safe for me. You do understand don't you?"

I nodded, so long as Bella was with me then the documents were safe but I couldn't allow her to post them to anyone, they must stay with us so I could send them back to Marcus in the hope it might satisfy him for a while.

I went outside to make a call. Of course, I was actually talking to the very person Bella was terrified of, Marcus Volturi, but she didn't need to know that. I told him that I had the documents and photographs and that the girl Bella Swan, was too frightened to talk to anyone.

"She isn't a threat Marcus, she's way too scared to say anything."

"How can you be sure? Just because you have the documents doesn't mean there aren't copies and humans do the strangest things when they are scared. Kill her and bring the documents back, that way I can tell the others what happened but that the situation has been dealt with."

I thought quickly, what was I going to do?

"I'm not due back for another ten days and I have things I want to do here. I can send the documents back to you."

"And the girl?"

I hesitated and he jumped on it,

"What's going on Major? You killed the friend, so get the rest of the job finished, kill the girl and be done with it, she's too dangerous to be allowed to live."

I couldn't afford to hesitate again,

"Very well."

"Oh, you might want to speak to Carlisle before you return, ask him about William. That should clear up some of the questions regarding your strange feelings. I'd be interested to hear what he has to say, his reasons for doing what he did, if indeed he was the one responsible although I can't imagine who else it could have been."

William, the same name Darius had given me, so Carlisle was responsible for our memory loss regarding Bella and Forks. I needed to speak to him quickly but first I had to find somewhere to hide Bella before Marcus decided to send someone else to ensure I had carried out my orders and killed her or Aro discovered what was going on.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen**

 **Bella**

I had felt much better while Jasper was here, for the first time since I heard of Sally's death I wasn't so scared and once I put two and two together and understood my dream I could see why. Jasper and possible the rest of the Cullen's although he hadn't exactly said so, were vampire hunters, something else Sally and I had poked fun at. Thinking of her again I realized I hadn't called her father and bent down to retrieve my cell phone from my bag just as something struck the wall over my head.

Everyone screamed and began to run, trying to get out of the café as they realized someone had fired through the window shattering it with a short burst of gunfire. Deciding the best thing to do was to stay under the table until I knew the coast was clear I peered through the forest of fast-moving legs hoping to see Jasper coming back but instead, I saw someone moving through the customers, pushing them out of the way and they seemed to be headed in my direction.

I looked around frantically for an escape route and noticed the rest room doors only a few yards away in the opposite direction from the figure coming towards me. I took a deep breath shoving the envelope and my purse into my pocket and made a run for it crashing through the swing doors and knocking over an employee who had been sheltering there. Without waiting to apologise I headed into the men's room hoping the figure, if t was looking for me, would assume I'd make for the ladies and seeing a small window in the opposite wall climbed onto the wash basin closest to it and wrenched it open praying any noise I made would be drowned out by the screaming and faint sound of the emergency service sirens that were steadily getting louder.

The door banged open as I began wriggling through the opening I had made by pushing the window to its furthest extreme and I turned. Standing there in the doorway was a man dressed all in black which was scary enough but then he took off his shades to reveal bright red eyes and I screamed throwing myself through the small opening as he moved forward so fast he was a blur and grabbed my arm as I slipped through, holding me dangling about a foot from the floor and possible escape.

"I don't think so, you have something we want, so hand it over."

I tried to bite his hand to force him to release me but my teeth merely skidded across what felt like granite, not flesh and I felt sick, this must be a vampire!

As he began to haul me back in through the window I screamed again and flailed trying to hang onto the window frame to prevent him but he was too strong and I felt myself begin to slide back then there was a blur of movement behind him and suddenly I was free and fell to the ground in a heap but I was up and running in an instant having no idea where to go, just that I had to get away from the man in black or I was dead.

As I ran I wondered why he had let me go and how he had known where I was. I patted my pocket to ensure I still had the envelope as I looked around frantically for somewhere to hide.

"Hey, this way, quick."

I skidded to a halt as a stranger appeared at the mouth of an alley ahead of me.

"Come on girl, we don't have time to mess around. The Major will meet us once he's sorted out a spot of business."

The Major? Another memory popped back, Alice telling me that Jasper's nickname was The Major although I couldn't remember her explaining why. It had been Edward who had called him that in a tone of voice I hadn't liked, it was scornful, and I remembered it upset Jasper at the time.

Deciding I had little choice with vampires at my back, I could hear a commotion down the street and imagined the man in black coming after me. In desperation I followed the stranger down the filthy alley jumping over refuse that spilled from garbage pails and avoiding rats that scurried away from me as I kicked over bags of fast fooleftoversrs. I just hoped I was right in thinking this was a friend of Jasper's and not another vampire out to kill me because if I was wrong then I'd just run into a perfect killing zone.

I followed the man down the alley and out the other end where a car waited, it's engine running and skidded to a halt when he wrenched open the passenger door and indicated I was To get in.

"Come on, we don't have time to wait, unless that is you want to find yourself on a one way trip to Volterra."

"What about Jasper? We should wait for him."

"No need, there's not a Volturi alive who could take him on."

I frowned,

"Volturi? What does that mean? Who are the Volturi?"

He rolled his eyes,

"I'll give you the full history, just get in the fuckin' car, please,"

With deep reservations I climbed in looking behind me and was relieved to see Jasper running to catch up with us but he wasn't alone, at his side was another guy and they both jumped in the back,

"Good to see you Major, I always know it's gonna be fun when we meet up. I take it you just tendered your resignation?"

Jasper shot him a warning look and he shrugged gunning the engine and driving quickly out of town to the north.

"Jasper, what's going on? How did you get away from that…"

I was loathe to use the word vampire in company but I didn't need to as his companion leaned forward and smiled at me,

"So, you're the reason I was dragged away from my computers. Pleased to meet you Miss Swan."

He held out a gloved hand and I shook it nervously, why did these people all have to wear gloves and sunglasses? I hated not being able to see their eyes, it made them appear robotic and that made me more nervous although they probably thought it made them look cool!

"Where are we going?"

The driver glanced at Jasper,

"Yeah Major, where to?"

"Head north, if the worse comes to the worst I know Bella will be safe with the Quileutes and don't start Peter. We can't take on the whole Volturi and hope to win. Bella's safety is the most important thing."

"Sure, and no need to thank us for saving your ass, we were in the vicinity anyway."

I felt self conscious among these three friends who appeared to be quite calm and relaxed considering they had just fought off a vampire to save my ass!

"Who was he? How did he find me so quickly? Do the vam….."

I still couldn't bring myself to utter the name out loud,

"Do they know what I know? That is why they killed Sally isn't it? To shut her up. Would they let me go if I just handed over what I have? And what do you mean I'll be safe with the Quileutes?"

The driver burst out laughing,

"Jeez, she asks more question than my grandma and she's been dead for years. Chill out girl, you're safe enough with us, we're the best bodyguards in the USA, actually, make that the world."

These men, Jasper's friends must be a part of the organisation that hunted down vampires that was why they seemed oblivious of the danger we had all been in a few minutes ago which made me think about the gunfire in the café.

"I didn't think vampires used weapons, surely they don't need to."

I watched Jasper, I could see he was deciding just what to tell me which meant there were things he did not want me to know and that in turn made me nervous.

"I can handle the truth so please Jasper, don't lie or leave anything out."

"The Volturi found out you were asking questions and snooping around they discovered you had been given some documents that they had no idea existed. As soon as they found out you knew of their existence you became a target, no humans are allowed to know the secret. They want you dead and they'll keep hunting until they find you."

"But surely if I promise not to tell anyone, if I hand over the documents and leave the country, go into hiding,"

I tailed off as all three looked at me.

"You don't understand Bella, there is no hiding from the Volturi, the vampire police force. They have gifts, one is a tracker and once he sees your room and touches your things he will have a connection with you. He'll follow you to the ends of the earth if necessary. For now all we can do is to keep you safe by moving constantly or…..if the guardians agree, you might be offered sanctuary on one of the reservations."

"Reservations? You mean like the Quileute village? What are guardians? No, just a second, I think I know the answer to that one. If vampires really exist and vampire hunters exist then maybe the spirit warriors exist too and the cold ones, their enemies, are vampires. So, their land would be the safest place, not Volterra after all."

I paused for a few minutes going through what I had been told and what I already knew and making sense of it all.

"Why guns?"

"Vampires want to keep their existence a secret, a gunman opening fire in a restaurant is nothing unusual, you would have been just one more victim and the gunman wasn't a vampire, he'd been hired to shoot the place up and scare you into running straight into a trap.

There was silence for a while and then I spoke up again,

"I guess I should probably get your names as you seem to know mine, which one of you is Van Helsing?"

The attempt at humour fell flat but the guy who had shook hands with me nodded,

"I'm Darius and your driver is Peter, I wish we had met under better circumstances Bella."

I nodded my agreement,

"Do you three usually work together? I mean were you tracking the vampire when you came across me? No, of course not, stupid of me, you knew why the vampire was tracking me. If you want the documents I was given I have them with me but they won't be of any help. They don't tell you anything useful, you already know about the Volturi and I'm guessing you know the names of the three vampire rulers. I have photographs of the one called Marcus or Marco if that's any help."

I took out the envelope and suddenly realised I had lost my bag with all my clothes, passport, drivers licence, and purse.

"I guess going back for my stuff is out of the question?"

Peter guffawed at that and I nodded,

"Yeah, I guessed as much but I don't have anything except what I stand up in guys. I need to get to a bank although without any documentation I don't think my chances of getting any money are high."

Darius touched me on the shoulder,

"Don't sweat it Bella. Ten minutes on the computer and you'll have everything you need. We should find somewhere to stop for a few hours. I can check on the Volturi and sort out some stuff, you probably need to eat too."

I thought we must all be hungry after the escape and a long drive but I didn't say anything, I was just grateful for their company and the security I felt.

"Pull in a the next motel. Darius you have an hour, Peter, check the perimeter, I'll take Bella to the restaurant and once she's settled I need to make a call."

Peter grinned,

"I'd like to be a fly on the wall for that conversation."

Something passed between the three men and I frowned although I got the sense that even if I asked answers wouldn't be forthcoming. For now I would hold my tongue but I wanted to know more about this band of vampire hunters and about the vampires themselves, especially the Volturi. If there was a way to kill vampires then I wanted to learn, the one that had killed Sally deserved to die and she deserved revenge.

We pulled in at the next truck stop just as Jasper, who seemed to be in charge of the group, had said and once I was seated inside the restaurant with a large coffee waiting for a burger and fries to arrive he excused himself to make a phone call. I had expected the others to join me, they must be hungry and thirsty too, but it seemed they had other things to do although I saw Peter wandering around the parking lot while Darius sat in the car tapping away on his laptop. Then my food arrived and I lost interest in anything except my hunger.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty**

 **Jasper**

I had been surprised when Darius joined me at the café although it was a timely intervention as it turned out, two more men appeared in the chaos, also armed with guns they were only too happy to discharge at anyone who moved. I had followed a guard I saw headed for the back of the place only to find another who had been trying to grab Bella. Darius took down the first and I dispatched the second allowing Bella to escape.

"Don't worry, Major, Peter's out there he'll take care of her."

Deciding to leave the gunmen to the authorities we burned the two Volturi guards bodies and left.

"I wasn't expecting to have so much fun, friends of yours were they?"

I shook my head, Marcus hadn't sent these two, there hadn't been time, which meant that either Aro or Caius was already aware of Bella and her findings and had decided to take action themselves which meant she was in even more danger now.

Luckily Peter had led Bella away to safety and knew enough to keep his mouth shut in front of her. It wouldn't be long before I would have to admit the truth about what we were but for now Bella trusted us and it was far easier to get her to do whatever was necessary when she wasn't terrified and I didn't want to use my gift on her unless it was absolutely necessary, it drained my strength more quickly and necessitated hunting more often leaving Bella with less protection which wasn't a good idea under the circumstances.

I was sure someone had or would shortly report back to Volterra and the brothers would know I had betrayed them but I could possibly buy a few hours grace if Marcus was warned of impending trouble. He answered his phone immediately and I sensed impatience in his tone.

"Well Major? Is it done?"

"Not exactly, someone else is looking for the girl, I think Aro knows about her so he might already know about the documents and photographs too."

"But you have those, so destroy them. Without proof….."

"I don't have them yet but I do have the girl. She'll take me to them."

"You said earlier that you had them, Major. What's going on?"

"I did, I had the girl and she knows where they are, I just need her to lead me to them. Once I have them I can clean up but I need time and that means staying out of the clutches of the other guards."

I could tell from his tone of voice that he didn't entirely believe me but he couldn't afford to chance being wrong.

"Very well, you have a day, after that, I will not be able to prevent Demetri being sent after her and possibly you too if Aro believes you have betrayed us. I hope for your sake that isn't the case Major. I'll expect to hear from you very soon with good news."

I had been right, Marcus didn't want the others to discover that there was documentary evidence of his existence that he had prior knowledge of so I had gained a few precious hours.

Next, I needed to speak to Carlisle, I wanted to know why he had used his friend to wipe our memories of Bella. It seemed to me that perhaps he was working with the Volturi and had been for years. MY suspicions about Alice's part in this fitted so well. She may have seen that Bella would be the one to discover evidence of vampires and maybe Carlisle feared it might lead to danger for the family? If so Alice had only been half right, Bella discovered our existence anyway, just not the way she feared.

If I hadn't been in the right place at the right time Bella would be dead by now and that outcome was unacceptable, I had strong feelings towards Bella, feelings I still needed to work out myself although I knew I couldn't allow her to be harmed and if that meant sending her to the safety of the Quileutes until I could find a way to keep her safe permanently then so be it.

I rang Carlisle hoping he would be at work, I didn't want any problem speaking with him and he might be unwilling to talk openly if others could hear the conversation.

"Jasper? I didn't expect to hear from you again so soon. Have you changed your mind about visiting? Esme will be delighted."

"Actually I wanted to ask you a simple question, Carlisle."

"Oh? Very well, fire away."

"Why did you ask your friend William to wipe Bella from our memory? And us from hers?"

The hesitation was so slight I almost missed it,

"I'm sorry? I have no idea what you mean."  
"I think you do, and I think you should be aware that Bella is in great danger as a result. I also know that you caused at least one human death in Volterra in the 1800's so don't try taking the moral high ground with me. Does the name Sonsino mean anything to you? Alfredo Sonsino?"

There was a more noticeable pause this time and I knew he recognised that name.

"How could you possibly know about him?"

"Not only do I know, Bella and a friend also found out, that and a lot more and now the friend is dead and Bella has a price on her head so I ask again, why did you have our memories tampered with?"

"Jasper, I have no recollection of doing so although I did call William to ask him after your last call. He denied any knowledge of such an act and I can hardly call him a liar without some proof but I am deeply sorry about Bella and her friend. I could speak to Aro on her behalf, he wouldn't allow her to exist out in the world with the knowledge she has but he might be prepared to offer her sanctuary in Volterra."

I could hardly believe what I was hearing!

"You want to turn her over to the Volturi? Do you honestly think they'll keep her safe? They want her dead, she knows about us. Do you not get it?"

Frustration bubbled up in me, was he really so stupid as to think Bella would find safety in Volterra?

"Surely it is worth trying Jasper? Where are you now? Are you sure Bella is safe? Does she know what we really are?"

I cut the connection with a deep sigh, sometimes Carlisle could be so naïve. Now I had to get back to Bella and decide how much to tell her in order to keep her safe but also retain her trust in me and my friends.

 **Carlisle**

I was shocked when I heard about Bella, I hadn't given her a thought since we left Forks, in fact, we had all forgotten about her, even Edward who had been so fond of her for a time. The very fact that she had been so completely wiped from our thoughts and conversation made me uneasy. Could Jasper be right about William? Was it possible that he had lied to me? Had he been approached to use his gift on the family? If so, by whom?

I certainly wouldn't have asked him and even if I had I doubt very much he would have agreed, we had not parted on good terms after I had criticised his use of it in the past, besides why on earth should I do such a thing? Edward had already been losing interest in Bella when we left so I would have no reason to break up his relationship with her. But if not me, then who? The number of people who knew of William's gift was very small, the Volturi yes, but there is no way he would have agreed to do anything for them even if they had found a way to trace him, he would have refused on principle. No, it must have been someone else but the questions remained, who? And why?

I couldn't speak to Rosalie and Emmett, they were travelling and although things were still cordial between us I didn't feel I could have such a discussion over the phone besides which Rose would probably cut the connection when she heard Bella's name, she had always been nervous of including a human in our circle. Could it have been her? No, I had never spoken to any of them about William, he was my secret, well mine and Esme's but then again that meant Edward was also informed but I couldn't imagine him wanting us to forget about Bella. Or could he have felt it was the best way to hide a break with her, especially if it had been she who did the breaking up, he didn't like to be seen in a bad light at the best of times but William wouldn't have helped a stranger and Edward didn't even know my old friend or how to contact him.

But, if not him then what about Esme? No, that was even more ridiculous, she had liked Bella, we all had, and I think she had hoped perhaps Edward might find happiness at last which left only Alice….was it conceivable that Alice had seen something terrible coming if we continued to have contact with Bella? Surely she would have come to me, after all, she had no knowledge of any powerful gifts outside the Volturi and she certainly didn't know about William. Of course, that brought me full circle because if Alice had seen something and come to me with her concerns and if they had been dire enough perhaps I might have tried speaking to William. I would do anything to protect my family but surely I would remember? I could hardly imagine asking William to wipe my memory too, it would be safer if I remembered for just such a situation as this. Besides, surely he would have admitted to me that he had helped when I called him but I knew of no one else with the kind of gift that could cause amnesia.

If there was such a person then there was probably only one person who might know, Eleazer. He still kept his finger on the pulse and I knew that occasionally he still helped Aro, the price he paid for his quiet family home in Alaska.

I decided to ring him first, if he could help me then I might have some ammunition when it came to speaking to Aro. It was always wise to have as much information about a subject as possible at your fingertips before beginning a conversation with my old friend.

Luckily Eleazer was in and free to talk, the girls had gone hunting in the national park, a girl's night out!

"It's good to hear from you Carlisle although I had a hunch we might be talking soon."

"Oh, really? Why is that?"

"Whenever there is an unusual amount of activity in Volterra I become nervous and I imagine you do too. I can't tell you much, only that there is trouble with a young woman who has found out a little too much about our world and that somehow it involves Marcus. Aro is furious apparently, now, what do you know?"

"First I need answers, Eleazer, do you remember William?"

There was a short pause as he went through his mental filing system,

"William Shore? I haven't heard that name in a very long time but he was a friend of yours, wasn't he? Oh, yes, I remember, the two of you fell out. Why do you ask?"

"Do you know of anyone else with a gift similar to this?"

This time there was no hesitation,

"No, no one. His was rare, a one off as far as I recollect and I know of all the gifts since I joined this world and most that existed before. Chelsea and the twins are the most powerful gifts I know of, or should I say the most dangerous, but William is in a league of his own. I take it you have a specific reason for asking?"

I explained what had happened, what Jasper had told me and of the conversation I had with William.

"I see, well my friend if I had to take a guess I would say William is behind it and if pushed to speculate further that you asked him for a favour and he obliged for old times sake."

"Then why didn't he tell me when I asked him?"

"That I cannot answer but I foresee trouble ahead. Did Jasper tell you that the Volturi guard is hunting for this girl?"

"He said he was supposed to be taking care of things."

"Did he? Well, he may or may not be aware that Marcus is not the only one keen to have this problem cleared up. Aro has sent guards to find her and take care of things which leaves Jasper in a very difficult position. As a member of the Volturi he should have found the girl, retrieved the papers and then killed her, it's his job as a member of the guard. If, as you say, he has the girl and the documents and is hiding one or both from the Volturi leadership he is liable to find himself on the wrong end of Aro's wrath."

"I know and I want to help but I don't know how. I was going to speak to Aro, see if I could come to some arrangement to save Bella's life."

"Do that and you, your family, and the girl will all be wiped out. She has broken the law and if Aro finds out that you knew her and that she and Edward had been in a relationship no matter how brief you will be guilty by association and you know what the penalty for that is. You should keep your head down and pray it never comes up. I'm sorry I can't help you any further my friend, you are in a very dangerous position and I will not put my own family at risk, not even for you."

"Well, thank you anyway, Eleazer. I just have to decide what to tell Jasper. I doubt he will just hand her over or he would have done so immediately."

"Of course, you understand why I take it?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Jasper is Volturi, he is a commander who obeys orders, it's who he is. If he has disobeyed then it must be because he has feelings for the young woman and if so he will never turn her in."

"But that means….."

"Yes, and while it is possible to run and hide from the Volturi I think under the circumstances Aro will hunt him to the ends of the earth and beyond. To do any less would be perceived as a weakness."

"Jasper will see that and he'll change her if you are right."

"I doubt that will make any difference to Aro. Jasper has turned against his leaders and forfeit his life, even if he turns Bella it just means the brothers will execute both. I don't see how he can get out of this Carlisle."

I put the phone down with the sinking feeling that Eleazar was right, I knew Aro as well as he did and the leader of the Volturi would never allow such a brazen betrayal by a member of the guard to go unpunished especially when it was the actions of a commander. I had no idea what I could do to help either Jasper or Bella right now.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty One**

 **Carlisle**

I decided the first thing I should do would be to warn Jasper that he was in even more danger if he didn't already know and hope that he had a plan of action. I could suggest he took Bella to Isle Esme but I was afraid it put them in an isolated position that gave the Volturi the chance to act without any restraint and Aro knew of the island I had bought as an anniversary present for Esme so he might think of sending the guard to look there. I should also tell him of my conversation with Eleazar and my decision not to speak to Aro although I would not say it was in order to keep my family safe, he didn't need to hear that. It was also the reason I was about to ask him not to approach any of the family for help or bring Bella to us although he would probably understand that Aro might well have eyes on us for just such a possibility. Warning Jasper was what I should do first but it was not what I would do, I'm afraid Jasper came a poor second to the family although I would never admit to as much out loud.

The most urgent action was to call the family and tell them that any contact with Jasper would be dangerous, Emmett and Alice were the two most likely to offer him help especially if they were reminded of Bella, Edward too possibly. I hoped that Garrett would know better and make sure Alice stayed well clear of trouble, he was no great fan of the Volturi in any case but, and it was a huge but, he and Alice were close friends with the Whitlocks who were also Jasper's closest friends and if he needed help chances were that they would be there for him.

So, I tried Garrett first laying out the situation as succinctly as I could and was relieved when his first reaction was to tell me that they were about to go on vacation to Europe, alone.

"Peter's been acting really strangely recently, he thinks there's trouble brewing and I don't want to get involved, I've done my fighting and now I just want a quiet life with Alice so I'll lose her cell phone and make sure we are away from any other forms of communication."

"What if she sees something Garrett, you can't stop her visions."

"I don't need to Carlisle, they've been on the blink now for years, Alice doesn't see anything clearly, only snatches that make no sense. It really upset her at first but now she's gotten used to living without them I think she's quite relieved. It was always a burden to know what the future holds and a curse when she didn't see something crucial."

I hadn't been aware Alice's problems with her gift had gotten so bad and it concerned me, was it connected with this strange loss of memory we all seemed to be suffering from and Jasper's unease? The more I thought about it the more certain I became that William was indeed at the bottom of this and that it was all connected but it occurred to me that if Alice had suffered then what about Edward?

He'd said very little before he left but he had been uncharacteristically quiet over the past couple of years, not his usual, slightly wearing arrogant self. I needed to speak to him too and I called his number in Milan only for it to be answered by a strange female voice.

"Hi there, I'm afraid Edward isn't here right now."

I explained who I was and she seemed to recognize the name,

"Carlisle? Oh yes. Edward has told me a lot about you... Oh sorry, I'm Beatrice, his fiancée."

I stopped unable to continue, Edward had become engaged and hadn't even bothered to tell us? That was very uncharacteristic of him, what was going on? Beatrice filled the silence at length,

"I guess he didn't tell you? He was going to write but I suppose it must have slipped his mind. Anyway, what was it that you wanted?"

"I…...I wonder if you could ask Edward to call me as soon as he gets back, it is rather urgent."

"Well, I don't know when that will be and we have a reception tonight at the Armani/Privé club which Edward and I are hosting. It might be tomorrow before he has time. Are you sure you don't want to leave a message? I'll make sure he gets it."

There was no way I was leaving a message with a woman I didn't know so I had to be satisfied with asking her to get Edward to contact me as soon as he was able. How I was going to break the news to Esme I didn't know, it had been enough of a shock to me. Edward and I had always been so close, yet now? My whole world seemed to be crumbling around me. Only then did I try Jasper's cell phone but it went to voice mail so again I was forced to leave a message and hope he would get back to me soon.

 **Marcus**

I knew my dear brothers would be taking action soon, they must know that there was a leak out in the human world even if they were not yet aware of exactly how the leak had occurred. There were several pieces of business that needed attending to and the first and most important was Alec. Did he really think he could go around speaking disparagingly of me? He had always been self-opinionated and arrogant but over the years this had become progressively more apparent. He hated that Jane was Aro's favorite as he thought his gift was more valuable than hers. Well, he was about to find out that he had yanked a tiger by its tail and this particular tiger was more formidable than he could ever have imagined.

My first port of call was the cemetery outside the town walls where I knew I could find Lilliana who went every day to lay fresh flowers on her grandfather's grave. She knew me by sight, I had been talking with her grandfather on more than one occasion when she visited and she was aware that I helped the family when times were tough as they had been since her father lost his job at the garage after a vehicle lift came down on his leg crushing the lower part and leaving him permanently disabled.

She was where I expected to find her kneeling by the headstone and arranging some wild flowers in a small glass jar, stopping from time to time to wipe away her tears, innocent tears that Alberto did not deserve.

I made sure she saw me coming, I did not want to scare her,

"Hello, Lilliana."

She stood up and brushed her tears away on her sleeve then smiled up at me,

"Hello, Signor Marcus."

"I was sorry to hear about your grandfather but I hope you and your father are both well."

She nodded,

"We moved into Nonno's house, the rent is paid until Christmas and we had to move out of our old one. Thank you for the money you sent for the funeral it helped a lot."

"You are welcome and I will continue to help you and your father as I helped Alberto but in return, I need you to do something for me."

She nodded again and smiled shyly,

"Of course."

"It's very simple Lilliana. One day soon someone may come to you and ask you about some documents and photographs..."

"Nonno's secret file?"

I was shocked, she knew about them?

"Yes. Did he tell you about the file?"

"No, not really, he just said it was why you helped our family and I was to tell no one about it, not even my father. He made me promise on the bible."

"Good, well if someone comes and asks you about your grandfather's file I want you to tell them that you gave it to Alec. Can you do that?"

She studied me for a long time before answering,

"Nonno told me I should stay away from Alec, that he was a very bad person and that no good would come of a friendship with him but he was always kind to me Signor. Will this get him into trouble?"

I wasn't going to lie to the girl, she deserved better,

"Yes, it will, but better that than you and your father out on the streets don't you think? And in return for this small white lie, I will ensure that your grandfather's house is put into your father's name so you can live there as long as you want and I will pay the pension I paid your grandfather to your father instead. Is that a fair exchange?"

She thought about this worrying her thumbnail but finally nodded as I had known she would. Her father had no chance of getting work and the small amount he received from the government barely fed them and kept a roof over their head, what I was offering was the best they would ever get and she knew it.

"OK. If anyone comes I will tell them that I gave Alec the file."

"You must say that he asked you for it because he had overheard your grandfather talking to himself one night when he had been drinking and wanted to see what was in the file, that's all."

She nodded and I handed her a small purse of money,

"This is the first pension payment, buy some food and if there is any left over maybe a new dress for yourself. When are you due to see Alec again?"

She shrugged,

"If I pick flowers on Saturday for the church he will be there in the woods."

"Then pick them on Friday instead this week and stay close to home."

I left her confident she would do exactly as she had promised. When you were poor I had noticed, money spoke louder than mere affection.

I made my way slowly back to the Citadel content with my plan to ensure I was safe and Alec was taught a harsh lesson but I was unhappy with The Major, something told me that he would not kill the girl Bella Swan which could only mean one thing, he had feelings for her. This was curious, I could understand love, I had been in love myself but I also understood betrayal and by ignoring my orders The Major was betraying me, so he too would need to learn what it meant to incur my wrath.

When I got back to my usual post in the archives I found Aro waiting impatiently and before I had a chance to greet him he began accusing me of knowingly allowing materials dangerous to our world to be handed to a human where they were likely to be used to reveal our existence. I waited until he finished and then frowned shrugging my shoulders.

"Brother, I have no idea what you are talking about. What documents?"

That stopped him in his tracks,

"Alec told me you knew all about them, that you paid a family in Volterra to stop them from using the documents against us."

"Alec? And how does he know all this? He thinks I was being blackmailed?"

I threw my head back and laughed,

"And you believed him?"

"Are you saying he lied? Why would he do that?"

"I have no idea, nor do I care, now if you have quite finished I have work to do."

He grabbed my arm, something I was expecting, but he knew it was useless, he would see nothing I did not want him to see. It had taken me centuries to perfect the trick but once I did I was finally free of my brother's snooping.

"I have answered your questions, Aro, why don't you question Alec further although I doubt he will give you the truth. Alec wants recognition, he is arrogant and ambitious, perhaps he thinks if he topples me he can take my place."

We both knew he would be forced to rely on Alec's spoken answers, his gift meant his thoughts were constantly clouded from Aro's gift, he was the only other person in the Volturi who was immune to Aro's snooping and I could see the idea annoyed my dear brother.

"What about the Sonsino's?"

The question was thrown at me just as he reached the door but I merely turned and smiled at him,

"More lies from Alec I presume?"

"But you don't deny knowing the name?"

"I doubt any of us will forget it after all Alfredo Sonsino almost blew our cover centuries ago. Are you asking if I help the family from time to time? Yes I do because centuries before Alfredo there was a female called Rosanna, do you remember her? She was Didyme's maid for a time before she caught the plague and my wife promised her that we would ensure her family didn't starve. I am merely keeping my dear dead Didyme's promise. Besides isn't Alec keenly interested in Lilliana Sonsino? Also a descendant of Alfredo's."

Aro looked away, he still mourned his sister just as I still mourned my wife even after all these centuries.

When he left I sat down at my desk relieved it was over, Aro never took any notice of the humans who served us here in the Citadel in order to keep our cover intact so he was hardly likely to remember one out of hundreds and there was no way of finding out after so long.

Now all I could do was to wait and hope Aro sent someone to speak to Lilliana. I knew he wouldn't go himself, he shied away from direct contact with humans unless it was a mealtime. I daydreamed of the fun I would have watching Alec try to wriggle out of this one, I could see him under Chelsea's control before this was over.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty Two**

 **Bella**

The TV was on above the counter although I wasn't taking much notice of it except to register the news was on. Then I heard a name that stopped me dead and I turned to watch the screen more carefully trying to hear the newsreader over the low hum of conversation. My heart sank as I realized I had heard correctly, a professor of classical languages had been found murdered in his apartment in south LA along with his two pet dogs and his daughter's body was found in her car at the university parking lot four hours later. The police were unable to say at the moment if the deaths were related although they admitted it was a coincidence. The photographs of the two victims flashed up on the screen and I felt sick as I recognized Stella and her father because I knew I was responsible for their deaths.

I had asked Stella to translate the Latin document and somehow the Volturi had found out and now she and her father were dead. They must have assumed that both Stella and her father had seen the document but they couldn't know what it said or surely they would have been aware that on its own it had not been dangerous to them.

I closed my eyes trying to hold back the tears, how many more people would die because of me? Sally, Stella, and her father were already dead and with a sick feeling I thought about who else might be in danger because Sally and I became the unwitting holders of a dangerous dossier.

Was there anyone else? Neither Sally nor I had told anyone else, even my publisher about my source, the papers had remained our secret. I doubted the Volturi would kill the publisher just for putting a book about vampires on the bookshelves, after all, it was only the last chapter that was relevant and then I had only tantalized my readers with what ifs. I continued to study the screen praying that Trevor Hucknell's face wouldn't flash on the screen but then remembered the book hadn't come out yet so Trevor should be safe for now. I decided I must call him, pull the book although I had no idea what excuse I could use.

Then I remembered that Charlie had seen the photographs if not the papers and we had discussed them. Had I told him about the papers and our theories? No, I was sure I hadn't but would the Volturi be willing to gamble on that? Or would they just take him out as a possible threat? And Renee and Phil? They had seen them too hadn't they? My mind was so muddled I couldn't think clearly but I was afraid I might have made them targets purely by visiting them after my trip to Volterra. With horror, it occurred to me that the Volturi might suspect that I had left the documents with them for safe keeping and that there was absolutely nothing I could do about any of it. I put down my fork and gripped the edge of the table to stop myself from shaking.

My mind was spinning so fast I had to force myself to stop, calm down and think rationally. I could offer to hand over the documents in return for a promise to leave me and my family alone but could the Volturi be trusted? They would probably agree, take the documents and then kill me and my family for daring to make a deal.

I could ask Jasper and his friends to help me protect my parents from the Volturi, they were vampire hunters so they should be able to do that easily enough and if they wanted the documents then we could make a deal. Of course, I had no idea how far I could trust them either. I knew Jasper, yes, but only vaguely although more memories were slowly returning but if his family was responsible for my loss of memory then how did I know they couldn't plant false ones there now to make me trust him?

I hated this, it was like trying to stand on a tightrope with no idea way to fall to find a safety net beneath me. For the first time since I was a little girl, I really wanted to run to my dad so he could look after me but that would only bring even more danger to his door.

Then it hit me, if I could trust Jasper at all then I could trust that the Quileutes were enemies of the Volturi. The legends I remembered from campfire evenings in the village rushed into my head, the spirit warriors turning into wolf form and fighting the Cold Ones to keep the tribe safe. Well, if vampires existed then chances so did spirit warriors and that meant I could ask Jake's dad to help keep Charlie safe. He could make up some story to get Charlie to stay on the reservation until this mess was sorted out or guard him in town but could I afford to wait until we reached Forks? The Volturi might even now be hunting Charlie, no, I had to make a call but I was still at a loss as far as Phil and Renee were concerned, I had no friendly spirit warrior tribe at hand in Florida...but maybe the Quileutes did! Perhaps Billy could reach friends in Florida who would be able to protect them from the vampires, it was a long shot but anything was worth trying if the alternative was to leave my mother and step-dad undefended.

I looked around wondering where Jasper was, he'd been gone a long time but would I have time to make a call before he got back, something told me to keep what I was doing to myself for now, at least until we got to Forks and I saw that he really meant what he said about protecting me. I hated all this uncertainty, I wished I could just trust Jasper, allow myself to relax in his company knowing that he and his friends would keep me safe but I was too scared and uncertain for that to happen.

The server refilled my coffee cup and leaving it there so Jasper would know I was still here I went through to the rest room shut myself in a cubicle took out my cell phone and began to dial the Blacks number before stopping short with just one digit to go. Call me paranoid if you will but I was afraid I might be overheard so I decided to text instead but what could I say? I sat there for almost five minutes before deciding I had no idea how to ask for their help without explaining the situation and I couldn't do that in a text. No, I would have to call but Jasper would be wondering where I'd got to so reluctantly I put my phone back in my pocket checking to feel the bulk of the envelope in my inside jacket pocket before flushing the toilet, washing my hands and face, and checking my reflection in the mirror. I guess for someone being pursued by vampires I looked pretty good so I shrugged at my reflection, took a deep breath and went back out into the restaurant.

I had just retaken my seat when Jasper reappeared looking very grave,

"Have you finished Bella? I think we should keep on the move."

I nodded getting up and finishing off my coffee which was almost cold by now,

"Yes, I'm ready. Did you speak to your friends?"

"Yes, but it's not going to be easy and they want the documents as a sign of good faith."

I stared at him, good faith? There was no way I was letting those documents out of my sight, they might end up being the only bargaining chip I had left if things went wrong.

"I'm sorry but I'm hanging onto them for now, I feel safer that way. You'll just have to tell your friends that. Where are we going?"

He shrugged,

"We'll continue to head towards Forks and the Quileutes until I hear from my friends again, but it would help matters if you were willing to give the papers up."

I shook my head pleased to hear we were still headed north and closer to my Quileute friends.

 **Jasper**

When she saw me Bella became very nervous although I thought it was understandable, she was in a terrifying situation and surrounded by people she hardly knew or in my case hardly remembered and then slowly she calmed again.

Darius sat with her in the back while I rode up front with Peter and I heard him explain to Bella how he had arranged a fresh bank account and papers which we could pick up in Seattle on our way to Forks. She appeared interested, asking which bank and how he had managed it all so quickly which flattered him and annoyed me in equal measure. He had arranged for Jenks to have everything waiting whenever Bella arrived with a letter of authority from him which he handed over to her. She studied it and then folding it up put it in the same pocket that held the documents Marcus wanted so badly.

It took me a few seconds to register that Peter was talking to me and I had to ask him to repeat the question which made him smile maddeningly.

"She's got your head turned Major, now pay attention."

I glanced in the mirror but we were speaking so softly there was no way she could overhear and Darius still had her full attention.

"What?"

"I just heard from Garrett, he's brought their trip forward having just heard from your friendly neighborhood sawbones. He doesn't want Alice involved in anything."

"I'd forgotten he and Alice were an item which reminds me. Why didn't she see this coming and warn me?"

"Your ex isn't herself these days. I hold my hands up and say when Garrett appeared with her in tow I was the first one to vote for throwing her skinny ass out the door but she's changed, Major. She's not the same person. You know her voodoo stopped working?"

I nodded absently, still more interested in what was going on in the back seat until Peter punched me on the arm.

"Hey, eyes and mind here please."

"Yes, I knew she was having problems but…"

More memories flashed back into my mind.

"She always said Bella was interrupting her visions, I remember now."

"Well it wasn't Bella or so it seems because she doesn't see anything now, or only fragments that make no sense. She's lost that smug "I know what's coming next and you don't" attitude and she's almost likable these days."

I tried to imagine Alice without her gift, it was such an integral part of what she was,

"Is she happy?"

"Yeah, strangely enough, she's settled right down with Garrett and I think that's why he's taking her out of harm's way. He really cares about her, they're a strange couple but as Charlotte pointed, "It's a match made in heaven" whatever the fuck that's supposed to mean. Anyway long story short, Garrett won't be around to help and from the sound of it, neither will the Cullen's, not that they would be any fuckin' 'good. We're all on our lonesome Major, just like old times, so what's the plan? You aren't really gonna hand her over to the mutts, are you? We can protect her as well as they could."

I sighed,

"Aro is going to be looking for me now he knows I'm on the run with her and with the documents he thinks proves our existence so if she stays with me she'll be in even more danger, Peter."

He shook his head mumbling and I knew how he felt, I hated the idea of leaving Bella with the wolves but I was fast running out of other options especially as the three of us were on our own to fight for Bella's life.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty Three**

 **Marcus**

It wasn't long before I heard that Aro had sent one of our human staff to speak to Lilliana. I had often thought having a human face fronting our organization was a good idea although it had taken a long while to persuade Caius of their usefulness, such a task as this one proved it to be so but I had to wonder if he knew anything about what was going on at present. Neither I nor Aro had mentioned our dear brother and as he was distracted at present by his latest mistress it was conceivable that he was unaware there was a situation.

Aro called on me in the archives once more and made himself comfortable in one of the armchairs picking up a book from the table and studying the title.

"Il Canzoniere. Romantic poetry Marcus? Hardly your sort of book I would have thought."

"An early illuminated copy Aro, 1480, the work is exquisite, you should take a look."

He opened the book carefully and turned the pages stopping to study some of the illuminations before shutting it again,

"I agree, very beautiful although personally, I thought Laura was less deserving than the author did, still they say love is blind."

He handed it to me and sighed,

"You have no doubt heard I sent Ingrid to speak to Lilliana about the papers?"

I nodded,

"Yes, I had heard, what did she say?"

He eyed me suspiciously,

"She claimed that Alec had asked her for the documents. That he had overheard her grandfather speak of them when he was drunk one night and wanted to see them. She said he threatened to hurt her grandfather if she didn't get them for him. I was surprised to hear that, I rather thought Alec was very taken by the young woman."

"I doubt Alec would allow anything to get between him and his ambition. Have you spoken to him yet?"

"No, but I will very soon and I thought you might like to be present when I did."

"Certainly, after all, I'd like to hear his accusations against me in person but just as a matter of interest what does Caius think about all this?"

Aro snorted, he disapproved of our brother's dalliances with other women even though Athenadora didn't seem to mind.

"He is otherwise engaged at present as I am sure you know. I doubt he even realizes there is anything amiss. By the way, where is The Major? If he is still in the United States then I assume you have asked him to hunt down the woman and retrieve the papers."

I had to be careful here but I answered without hesitation.

"As soon as you told me there were such documents I sent him to retrieve them, there were two girls involved it seems and he has already taken care of one. He tells me the other is taking him to where the papers are hidden and once he has those in his hand he will dispose of her and return."

Aro studied me,

"Something tells me you have reservations about the veracity of The Major's words Marcus, why is that?"

"Just instinct I suppose, I would hate to think he would betray our trust in him."

Something told me Aro knew more than he was letting on and I hoped my words would put his mind at ease regarding me and turn his suspicion onto The Major where it belonged. I suspected that he had also sent men to retrieve the papers and deal with the girl.

Aro smiled frostily,

"Let's be honest about this shall we Marcus? I may have been wrong about who it was who withheld information about the Sonsino documents but we both know that The Major has, how do they describe it? Oh yes, gone rogue. You see I sent a small party to check on the situation as soon as I was made aware of it and now I have lost contact with some of that party which leads me to believe that The Major is helping this woman, do you have any idea why he might do that?"

I shook my head,

"No. As far as I am aware this is just another mission for him but like you I have my doubts as to his loyalty.

"Yes Marcus, and fearing that he may be aiding this woman I decided to send her a personal message, perhaps when she discovers that everyone who knew about the papers or even might have known are now dead she will decide that it would be wise to hand them over. If not then the next targets will be those this woman loves most and if The Major gets in the way my guards have orders to capture or to kill him."

Now I knew who Aro had sent after the woman and The Major, there was only one person who could safely disarm and capture him, Alec and that was why Aro hadn't confronted him yet. I had thought it might be difficult to capture The Major and make him pay but Aro had known this and acted accordingly.

He continued,

"So, you were unaware of the possible connection between this woman and The Major?"

"Yes totally, is there one?"

"Possibly, apparently she comes from a place called Forks in Washington State, somewhere the Cullen family likes to call home from time to time. I was unable to speak to my dear friend Carlisle but I left him a message asking him to contact me at his earliest convenience, it will be interesting to hear what, if anything he can tell me about her."

If Carlisle had any sense at all he would deny all knowledge of the woman but I knew how he hated to lie. The question was, would he be prepared to overcome his scruples in order to ensure the safety of his family? For that is what it boiled down to and I wouldn't like to be in his shoes if Aro decided he was implicated in any way.

 **Carlisle**

When I heard Aro's voice on my answering machine I knew trouble was getting closer, he sounded pleasant enough but then Aro would sound the same way if he were passing a sentence of death or wishing you a happy birthday, it was just his way.

I had no idea how much he knew or what he really wanted from me but I was relieved I had at least been able to warn Garrett and Alice. Esme knew of course and had refused to run or hide when she found out I was staying put. If I had run and Aro discovered the connection between my family and Bella Swan then he would take it as an admission of guilt and I would have condemned them all. I had left a message for Rose and Emmett but they were trekking in Nepal so I had no idea when they would receive it and at least they were out of harms way in the short term, perhaps it would all have blown over by the time they resurfaced.

Edward had finally got back to me more than a day after I left the message with his fiancée saying I needed to speak to him urgently. He hadn't sounded very worried, in fact, he didn't even apologize for not letting us know of his engagement.

"Beatrice said you wanted to speak to me Carlisle, is it important? Only I don't have much time, we're going to the opera."

I resisted the urge to tell him it was nothing and put the phone down instead explaining briefly what the problem was.

"Oh, right. Well, I doubt the Volturi will make the connection and if they do I'll just tell Aro I told her nothing, we had a short fling and I got bored so we left Forks. Actually, I can't even remember what she looked like. If worse case scenario, Aro threatens me, I'll offer to join the Volturi, he's always wanted my gift and Beatrice would be thrilled to be a part of Volturi royalty. I suggest you tell Alice to do the same."

"So, you still have your gift, Edward?"

There was a long silence and when he finally spoke again his tone was icy,

"Why would you question it?"

"Because Alice has lost her visions and we wondered if your gift had been affected too."

"Affected by what?"

He sounded a little too eager for an answer if his gift was working as it once had.

"We don't know yet son but it has affected you too hasn't it?"

"NO"

His tone was too loud and abrupt to be sincere,

"Of course not. I don't know what you are talking about. My gift works fine, you're just trying to belittle me because I didn't think it necessary to tell you I was getting married. I'm glad I left the family, all you ever did was to hold me back. I'd prefer it if you didn't contact me again. Goodbye Carlisle."

The sound of the click as he disconnected had a finality about it and I knew Edward was never coming back again but I also knew his gift had been affected, how badly I had no idea but he too was suffering from the same malady that affected all of us in one way or another.

With a sigh, I steeled myself for the upcoming conversation and dialed Aro's private number hoping he was out although that would only delay the inevitable. He wasn't of course and answered almost immediately as if he'd been hovering over the receiver waiting for my call.

"Carlisle, good of you to get back to me so quickly."

"You did say it was important and I don't like to keep anyone waiting. How can I help you, Aro?"

"No niceties Carlisle? This is not like you, still, it's probably better if we get straight down to business. What can you tell me about a Miss Isabella Swan?"

And there it was, my deepest dread in the open at last.

"Bella? We met the family when we lived in Forks some years ago. Her father was the Chief of Police so we met socially from time to time and she went to High school with our...children."

He snorted, he hated that we regarded our charges as children but he let it go this time, he had other, more important things on his mind.

"So you just met this girl socially? There was nothing more? What is she like? Is she inquisitive?"

"I'm sorry? She, Edward, and Alice were in some of the same classes and became friendly. She was bright if a little shy and awkward. Why?"

"Ah, I wondered when you were going to ask me that. It appears Miss Swan has gained possession of certain documents that would be better destroyed, documents that could be dangerous to our kind if published. Do you remember a certain human who witnessed something he should not have seen and asked a priest to take down his statement? A priest who called on you for advice as to that man's sanity?"

I closed my eyes, I could never forget that, one of many actions I wished I could take back.

"Yes, I remember, Alfredo Sonsino, he was a woodcutter who saw two nomads feeding illegally on a young girl from the town. As I remember came straight to you with the information."

"Yes, and we acted immediately much to your horror if I remember correctly but then you were always squeamish Carlisle. Well, it seems the Sonsino family collected "proof" that vampires exist and kept it hidden away until a foolish old man handed it to Miss Swan and her friend who wrote both an article and an as yet unpublished book on the subject. You can imagine what the outcome might be were these documents to become part of that book, a book revealing vampires really exist."

"Yes, I see but the Bella we knew would be easily intimidated, I'm sure she would gladly hand over anything she has if she were asked in the right way."

"Dear Carlisle, always trying to save the humans. I'm afraid it's more complicated than that. What was the relationship between Bella and The Major?"

"Jasper? There wasn't one. He was still with Alice at that time and as far as I can remember I don't think the two exchanged more than a dozen words. Why? Were you thinking Jasper might be able to get them back from her for you?"

"No, I doubt The Major will be helping us in this situation. I hope you are being honest with me Carlisle, this is a very dangerous situation for everyone. Is there anything else I should know? I will be speaking to the rest of your family, of course, they might remember something you do not."

"No, nothing. She was merely someone who attended the same school and social functions I and my family did."

"Very well, thank you for your time, Carlisle, I'm sure we will be speaking again very soon."

The last was a warning, I just hoped whatever had blinded us to Bella so far continued to do so, that way no one could tell Aro anything that might endanger the family but I would warn Esme to be very careful, as for the others? Well, all I could do now was pray, I certainly wouldn't risk contacting Jasper again, he was on his own now, he and Bella, may God protect them for I couldn't.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty Four**

 **Bella**

I wanted to relax for a while, my nerves were stretched to breaking point but somehow I just couldn't. I guess I wasn't entirely comfortable in the company of three guys I hardly knew even if they had just saved my life although I did find myself beginning to trust Jasper. There was just something about him...or was there?

I couldn't stop the small voice at the back of my brain that kept whispering

"Be careful Bella, he's already told you that someone is screwing with your memory, who knows what else they can do. Can you really believe what he says?"

I didn't want to listen to it but as I sat in the back of the car staring out the window but seeing only Darius reflection as he watched me things began to whirl around in my head.

A conversation I had earlier with Jasper sprang to mind, we had been sitting in the café, just before the Volturi attacked.

"Or was it the Volturi, Bella? Surely vampires don't need guns? Was he just making an excuse, could the attack have been men not vampires at all?"

No, the one who tried to stop me getting through the window hadn't been a man, his skin was like granite when I tried to bite him.

"Are you sure? You were scared, running for your life, can you be certain you didn't make that up in your terror?"

What was it about the conversation that was bugging me?

I tried to remember his exact words,

"Sally was your friend? The one who was given the documents in Volterra?"

"Ho, oh! How did he know Alberto had given the documents to Sally? You never told him that, Bella. You said you had some documents, nothing about Alberto giving them to your friend so how did he know?"

There was something else too, Peter had asked Jasper if he had just tendered his resignation after the fight with the Volturi.

"It sounds to me like he was one of the Volturi."

He could have somehow fooled them into thinking he was a vampire too when he was working against them from within.

"Really? Now you're making excuses for him, vampires aren't stupid or they would have been wiped out before now. Do you really think a human could work in their lair without being discovered?"

I closed my eyes, I couldn't put aside everything the voice in my head had pointed out and continued to do so I tried to put things straight in my mind, ignoring it as best I could. Jasper had turned up after Sally died, he approached me in the park but kept to the shadows and he had been keen to take the documents from me for his friends to keep safe. I was suddenly glad I had refused and kept them although I wish now I had found somewhere safe to hide them instead of carrying them around with me.

Then there were his friends, they had helped me escape the vampires in the café true enough but both wore dark glasses that hid their eyes and gloves which neither had removed, were they hiding red eyes and strange skin? Jasper's eyes were a strange color but not the dark or red of the myths so maybe the other two were the same? Or were they all vampires, maybe even opponents of the Volturi who wanted the documents for reasons of their own? Perhaps they worked for those Romanians the Volturi had toppled from power.

"See, I was right, you can't trust them, none of them."

I tried to remember if there had been anything strange about the Cullens but my time with them was just a blur and the harder I tried to conjure it up the more obscure everything became.

The bottom line was that however much I wanted to believe Jasper I dare not which meant I had to get free of these men somehow just in case they decided that I wasn't going to give them what they wanted and killed me for the documents. The only trouble was that I had no idea how to go about it or where to run for sanctuary. There were the Quileutes but I only had Jasper's word for it that they would keep me safe. Actually, that wasn't quite true, if the stories were true and vampires really existed which seemed pretty much a given now, then the stories of the spirit warriors must be true too but if this was true then Jasper was telling the truth so I could believe him! I felt sick as all this whizzed around and around in my skull until I could have screamed. I wasn't sure if speaking to Billy or Jake was the right thing to do to protect my dad or not but I had to do something, either accept that Jasper was telling me the truth and accept his help or run as far and as fast as I could.

 **Jasper**

Bella was very quiet which meant one of two things, either she had decided to trust us or she was still busy working things out in her mind. I knew I should have been perfectly truthful with her straight away but there hadn't been time and I had needed her to trust me when the attack came but now admitting I had allowed her to assume I was a vampire hunter would possibly ruin any trust we had built up. Peter was right, I didn't want to take her to Forks and plead with the Quileutes to keep her safe although I knew they would, if only for her father's sake. The trouble was that once she was on the reservation who knew what they would tell her? Chances of my ever seeing her again were slim and somehow the very thought of that crushed me. Why hadn't I felt this way when I met Bella in Forks? How come I was only now noticing how beautiful she was, how much I wanted to get to know her, to be her friend, confidant and...oh God, I wanted to be her lover, no, I wanted her body and soul. It had hit me like a train, I wanted Bella because I felt the mating pull.

This knowledge changed everything, I couldn't take her to Forks, I couldn't hand my mate over to the guardians and chance never seeing her again. There had to be another way, there just had to be but if I were to stand any chance at all then I had to tell Bella the truth and pray that she would listen and believe my reasons for deceiving her.

"Jasper."

I turned guiltily hearing my name,

"Yes?"

"Do you think we could pull over, I'm feeling sick."

"Of course. Peter."

He nodded and indicated turning into a pull off a mile down the road and Bella got out running into the trees at the edge and we heard the sounds of her retching.

"Nasty! Glad I don't get like that."

I glared at Peter and he held up his hands in mock surrender,

"Sorry! I was just saying. I'll be in the car when you're ready. It looks like you've come to a decision. You gonna come clean? Bad move Major, if you want my opinion."

He glanced over and saw my expression,

"Then again I guess you don't."

"No, I don't. I think it's the right move, Peter, we can't go on pretending like we're human, I wouldn't be surprised if she hasn't worked out there's something suspicious already."

Peter glared at Darius who got back in the car and took out his computer to see what, if anything, was happening with the Volturi. It was a sure thing that Aro and Marcus would be looking for both Bella and me by now and I just hoped we could stay one step ahead with Darius help.

 **Bella**

It just hit me, how many people I had killed through my own stubborn stupidity, maybe if I had listened to Sally and stopped but no, it was already too late by then, why oh why had we gone to Volterra? If only we'd stayed away from there all those people would still be alive, Sally, Stella, her father, even his two dogs and my parents wouldn't be in danger. I had no idea how I was going to save them but I had to try.

I felt better in the cool night air after I threw up although I would have killed for a drink of water to swill out my mouth. I looked back and could just see Jasper standing in the moonlight and illuminated every now and then by passing headlights. He was alone, the other two were sitting in the car and I breathed deeply, if I was going to trust Jasper then I would have to ask him about the things that were worrying me and hope I was right in doing so because I needed his help to save my mom and dad, there was no one else.

I walked slowly back towards him shaking with fear and apprehension but when he held out a can of soda I couldn't help smiling,

"Thank you, that was just what I needed."

I popped it and swilled my mouth out with the first gulp spitting it out self consciously into the grass before gulping down the rest. I was about to speak when he beat me to it.

"Bella, I need to tell you something."

"Oh! OK."

He moved back a few feet as if to give me more breathing space,

"I haven't been entirely honest with you about myself, or my friends."

"You aren't vampire hunters, are you?"

"No, we aren't although we are no danger to you and I promise we will keep you safe if we can."

"OK, but how? You aren't vampire hunters and you aren't spirit warriors I assume?"

He smiled bleakly and shook his head,

"No, we aren't spirit warriors, they are all native Americans and you can see we aren't."

"But they do exist? You didn't lie about that?"

"Yes, they do exist and I tried very hard not to lie outright but I did allow you to make certain assumptions."

"You're sounding like a politician now. Can I trust you and your friends because I really need someone I can trust right now."

He sighed and bowed his head,

"Yes, you can trust us although there is something I must tell you first. We aren't going to Forks, not any longer. We can't."

"Why? Are the vampires there already? I felt panic rising up in me,

"What about my dad? They'll kill him if we don't stop them."

"No, they aren't there yet, Darius is monitoring their movements but I don't doubt that is where they are headed, there and Florida if your mom still lives there. The Volturi are utterly ruthless and you have something they want. Aro won't stop until he gets it, whatever he has to do."

Aro, one of the three names of the vampires who overthrew the Romanians.

"How do you know all this? And why is Darius tracking the Volturi if you aren't vampire hunters?"

"Please try to stay calm Bella as I explain the situation,

"I know what the Volturi will do because I am, was, one of them. I'm a vampire Bella and so are Peter and Darius but we mean you no harm. I was sent to get the documents back and to kill you and your friend but I promise you I never laid a hand on her."

I felt nauseous again but I steeled myself to answer him,

"That's how you knew that Sonsino had given the documents to Sally and not me. It's why Peter asked if you were resigning. You're a vampire! Were all the Cullens vampires? Why didn't you kill me? How did you live among humans without giving yourselves away?"

"We, the Cullens and I live on animal blood, we don't hunt humans and control comes with long practice."

I wondered how long but I had other things that were more important to clear up,

"if you are vampires and you were Volturi why are you helping me? Surely not just because we once knew each other?"

"No, although when I recognized your scent in your apartment it changed everything."

I sagged, just how much had Jasper been hiding from me?

"It was you who checked out my files and searched my apartment."

"Yes, although I had hoped you wouldn't notice, that was sloppy of me."

"And the Volturi killed Sally, Stella, and her father and now they are coming for my parents? If I give them the documents would they agree to leave my mom and dad alone?"

"It's gone too far for that Bella, Aro wants you too."

I ran this through in my head,

"Can I trust him to keep his word if I agree on a deal with him?"

He sighed and shrugged,

"It's hard to say, once he had you and the documents our world is safe but he sometimes decides a lesson needs to be learned the hard way. He might decide to kill your parents to make a point."

"But he might. What would he do with me?"

"Again I have no idea but at the moment the people hunting you have orders to kill or capture and they are hunting for me too."

That shocked me,

"Because you helped me escape from those men in LA? Why would you put yourself in so much danger to help a mere acquaintance? I don't understand."

"Neither did I until a few minutes ago...I"

We heard a shrill whistle from the direction of the car and a muffled yell,

"Get your asses back pronto, we gotta go, Major."

Jasper grabbed my arm and pulled me back to the car much faster than I would have thought possible and pushed me into the back seat as Peter gunned the engine and took off with Jasper only half in the car.

I screamed as I saw a group of dark silhouettes appear in the road before us and Peter cursed loudly while Darius threw his computer to the floor and grabbed me, holding on tight.


	25. Chapter 25

****C**** ** **hapter Twenty Five****

 ** **Jasper****

We were too late, it was the Volturi and I recognised the young man at the front, Alec! I didn't need to warn the others, it was me he was concentrating on and they recognised the danger we were in only too well. I heard the car door open but before I could react everything began to blur into a grey nothing, I hadn't had time to act and stop him getting his gift at full power but I could hold it back a short while by trying to run therefore giving the others a chance, however slim, to get away with Bella.

I slipped from the open door to the ground and staggered to my knees and then my feet moving away from the others, I could just see them from the corner of my eye making for the trees, Bella held fast between Darius and Peter but then more figures emerged and all three fell to the ground screaming and writhing and I cursed as the grey enfolded me.

 ** **Bella****

I knew these figures meant danger, they were Volturi but I had no idea what to do and when Darius grabbed a hold of me and pulled me from the car on the opposite side from the figures I allowed myself to be pulled along with him expecting to see Jasper and Peter follow. When I felt a grip on my other arm and felt myself lifted from the ground I turned expecting to see Jasper but it was Peter and he looked afraid.

We had almost reached the trees when more of the ghostly figures appeared ahead of us and then something strange occurred. Darius and Peter fell as if they had been pole axed and I was dragged down with them screaming in pain as I was crushed underneath the combined weight of their I tried to wriggle out and gulp down some air I suddenly realised both men seemed to be in agony writhing on the ground and screaming in pain. Scared at the thought of being picked out as different by the Volturi and having no idea why I wasn't in pain like them I decided to mimic their actions and it seemed to work.

The figures glided over to look down on us, one, a young girl with an angelic face but the devil's eyes, red and cruel, smiled broadly as the three of us were dragged to our feet. The two guys were no longer screaming and I felt Darius grab my hand once more as we were marched over to a large black vehicle with no rear windows and thrown none too gently in the rear. I had a glimpse of Peter and Darius just before the rear door was slammed shut and was shocked to see that both looked as if they had been in a long hard fight, their eyes, which I could now see as they had both lost their sunglasses, were dark red and dazed. They were vampires, just as Jasper had said.

I tried to act groggy leaning against Darius for support and moaning piteously although the Volturi took little notice.

The doors were slammed shut and I wanted to ask where Jasper was but the three huge forbidding looking men who took their places opposite us scared me too much to make speech possible. Instead, I clutched Darius' hand once more and he squeezed it comfortingly as Peter took the other one.

"You OK Bella?"

I nodded still unable to speak for the fear that clogged my throat then managed to force out a whisper,

"What happened? Where's Jasper?"

Darius shook his head in mute warning and I slumped back against them trying not to cry in my terror. This was what I had feared all along, being snatched by vampires and now it had happened but I had one thing to be grateful for, apart from my companions that was, while I had been in the trees throwing up I had decided to hide the documents somewhere I hoped they would be safe so the Volturi wouldn't get them. The only people who knew I had them with me up to that point were my two present companions and Jasper and I doubted any of them would say anything.

We drove for an hour in silence, the three Volturi ignoring us and each other while I tried to get comfortable on the hard floor until Darius took off his jacket and rolled it up for me to sit on and Peter gave me his as I began to shiver although it wasn't cold in the back with six of us crowded in there, it was more the shock I think.

I was relieved when we finally pulled up although this could be where I found out where they were taking me or where I died!The door opened allowing some cool fresh air inside and the three guards climbed out first followed by Peter, then Darius who continued to hold my hand and I followed grateful for the reassuring contact. Looking around I saw we were at an airfield, the van had pulled up outside an old hanger and one of the Volturi slid a door open and gestured for us to go inside.

I hoped to see Jasper in there but the place was deserted except for the three silent Volturi who followed us in and took up stations to guard the exits. I looked around unsure what was coming next and Darius pulled over an old crate for me to sit down on which was just as well because my legs were weak with the mounting fear of being surrounded by vampires half of who wanted what I no longer had and according to Jasper, me, although whether alive or dead I wasn't sure but I guessed I was about to find out.

When the door slid open again a few minutes later I was relieved to see Jasper accompanied by two tall black cloaked Volturi, one of whom had to turn sideways to get his bulk through the door. My relief soon slipped away as I saw there was something odd about Jasper's manner, it was as if he were a robot programmed only to walk with them. He didn't turn or acknowledge us and when they halted he halted too, close enough that I could see his eyes which usually so expressive were blank and unseeing.

He was followed by the girl who had somehow hurt my companions although she had nothing in her hands at the time and a young guy who could only be her twin. The two stood looking at us, ignoring Jasper and his two guards who all three stood like statues, silent and unmoving.

"Where are the documents?"

The girl's voice was toneless as if all this bored her.

I didn't say anything, I had no idea what to say for the best.

"You can tell me now and this will all be over or you can stay silent and we'll just have to take you back to Volterra. You'd do well to take the former option."

I shook my head and she turned to one of the Volturi who had travelled in the van with us,

"Search her, she may have them on her."

I shrank back against my two companions hoping they or Jasper could stop this but as Darius attempted to put himself between the guard and me the girl turned her expressionless eyes on him and he fell back writhing once more, the bitch somehow had the ability to cause terrible pain just by staring at someone yet I hadn't felt anything, did it only work on other vampires? I hated her with a vengeance but when Peter moved I shook my head in warning, I didn't want anyone else tortured on my behalf.

"No, please, I don't want anyone else to get hurt Peter. It's OK."

The girl sneered and looked away from Darius who remained on the ground gasping as the pain finally stopped.

The guard ran impersonal hands up and down my body but I still cringed feeling sick at this violation by a creature who drank human blood. He checked my pockets with iron hard hands reminding me of the vampire who had tried to stop me fleeing at the café then turned to look at her,

"Nothing."

"Well, they weren't in the car so where are they?"

I ignored her pulling Peter's jacket closer around me to stop myself shivering after the Volturi's cold touch.

She turned her attention to Peter and Darius and I jumped in quickly to save them from further pain,

"They don't have them either."

She smiled coldly,

"And why would I believe anything you say. Search them."

The guards were much rougher with the guys tearing Darius shirt and ripping the sleeve of Peter's as they checked it.

"Nothing."

She turned back to me cocking her head to one side inquisitively,

"Where are they? Or would you prefer me to make your friends suffer again? I can do this all day, in fact, I would enjoy it."

The young man, her brother I guessed, rolled his eyes,

"Why don't we just kill her and go home. The documents are no good without her. No one else would understand their significance and we have The Major plus two bonus gifts for Aro. You may be enjoying this but frankly, I'm getting bored."

She sighed,

"You're always bored Alec, didn't you enjoy using your gift on him?"

Alec glanced at Jasper who didn't react,

"Not particularly, it's only fun if I can kill them once I snare them and Aro wants him alive. I hear they are going to have a trial, now that might be fun."

She shook her head vexed then turned her attention to me again.

"Just so we are clear, I have no qualms about killing you, these two idiots, or anyone else in order to get what I want. I know where your father lives and it would take no more than a few hours to reach him. So I'll ask you again, where are the documents?"

"Did you kill Sally and Stella?"

She laughed,

"No, I can't take the credit for those although I did enjoy making the old man suffer, his dogs too. I hate dogs."

So she had killed Stella's father but not Sally or Stella, she'd probably sent her companions to do that. I just hoped it had been the boy, at least that way they would have known nothing about it.

She turned to Jasper,

"Did you search him?"

One of the two Volturi standing with him nodded his head,

"Of course, he had nothing on him."

Her eyes when they returned to me looked annoyed,

"Well?"

"I don't have them on me, I left them somewhere safe... along with a letter."

"Liar, you had no time. You had them on you when you left the apartment and met up with The Major, he told Marcus as much and since then you have been with these fools so...?"

Peter spoke up,

"She might not have had time but I did and I hid them for her."

The girl's eyes narrowed suspiciously,

"Where did you hide them? Or did you post them to someone? I really hope not because that means Alec and I will be stuck here even longer. Let me see, to your publisher maybe? That would be a shame as he met with an accident yesterday, he, his office, and everything in it went up in flames."

I groaned, yet another death laid at my feet, they were weighing me down more and more yet I couldn't give myself up to the guilt and pain yet.

"Somewhere you can't get them, nowhere you know, or Peter. I hid them, not him."

"Very well, then I guess we need to persuade you to tell us, now who do we kill next? Which of your gallant companions? We can't touch The Major, Aro has plans for him, so shall we look a little closer to home, say your father in Forks? Or your mother in Jacksonville along with her husband? You choose."

I shook my head trying desperately but with little success to hold back the tears of pain and fear I could feel collecting in my eyes.

"No, no one else. I'll take you to the papers but you have to promise me not to kill anyone else."

Her twin brother laughed and I shivered at its cold sound,

"Do you really think you are in any position to bargain with us? You'll be lucky to escape this mess with your own life."

The girl had merely smiled at this and I realised only too well how he was speaking the truth but if I was going to die then I wanted to save as many others as I could.

"Santiago, kill Whitlock."

I looked on with horror not sure who she was referring to and then saw the biggest of the Volturi smile broadly and move slowly, reminding me of a big cat stalking his prey, towards Peter.

"No, please. I'll take you to the documents but please don't hurt him."

The girl turned cold eyes on me once more,

"Too late, maybe this will teach you a lesson."

The huge Volturi was standing over Peter who looked so small beside him and I screamed,

"NO."

The Volturi reached down to grab Peter by the collar as Darius launched himself at the giant knocking him sideways so they both crashed to the floor and I screamed again as something blew the huge hanger doors from their hinges.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty Six**

 **Jane**

I looked around in confusion, startled by the sudden violence as a tornado appeared to blow the hanger doors off their hinges and slam them into the two guards standing beside The Major. They were taken from their feet by the force and hurled against the far wall of the hanger which exploded outwards as they hit, all disappearing in a cloud of dust and dirt. Alec grabbed my hand and pulled me,

Alec grabbed my hand and pulled me,

"Come sister, quickly."

I tried to pull away but he held me tight,

"We have no idea what caused that but whoever it was has a powerful gift and I for one do not intend ending like the guards, look."

He pointed over to where the two guards had hit the concrete roadway beyond the building. There were two huge craters filled with rubble that had been lifted into the air and rained down on them. Nothing was visible of the men, by the look of things they were buried under tons of earth and debris.

I nodded,

"OK, go. Contact Aro and tell him what has happened while I gather up whoever is left, the girl, and The Major and meet you back at the rendezvous 's too dangerous to go for the van, we have no idea who is out there."

He didn't like me shooting orders at him but I was the one Aro had put in charge of this operation so he nodded sullenly and ran off while I made my way cautiously back inside hoping to get a clue as to what had happened and ready to use my gift if it should become necessary.

As I peered through the dust laden air that made visibility almost nil I saw shadows moving cautiously and recognised Whitlock and Darius regaining their feet at the far end, they had obviously been hurled about by the wind if less forcefully than the guards but even so they were dazed which gave me the opportunity I needed to grab the girl who lay unconscious on the floor bleeding from a wound on her head, nothing major I decided but enough to have knocked her senseless.

I slung her over my shoulder and ran to where The Major stood, beginning to recover slowly from Alec's gift and grabbing his arm pulled him forcefully from the wrecked building as others began to appear through the yawning gap where the doors had once hung.

I didn't get far before The Major began to struggle so I let go of him and pulled the girl closer so he could see that I had her.

"Back off or I'll kill her now and don't think about trying to jump me, I can tear her throat out before you could reach me. Any funny business and she dies."

His eyes narrowed and I knew what was coming so I attacked first, knocking him to the ground to lay writhing in agony as I took off as fast as I could, relieved to see Santiago racing to catch me up. I didn't need any help but he would be useful to slow The Major down, besides, with two of us to fight he couldn't keep his precious human safe.

Afton the only other guard left also joined us running to me to report,

"Jane, there were only three of them, one was Whitlock's mate but I didn't recognise the other two. They'll be on our tail any minute and one of them is powerful enough to destroy a building."

I nodded turning back to see Santiago struggling with The Major but becoming weaker with every punch.

"Here, take the girl to Alec, tell him to fly her straight out of here as quickly as he can get to the airfield. I'll follow later with Santiago and The Major."

I watched as Afton disappeared with the girl on his back fading from view as his gift took over. He couldn't cloak two people for long but it should be enough to lose any pursuit for long enough to get away and I turned my attention to the unequal fight between Santiago and The Major sending my gift to hit both of them, it was unfortunate but they were just too close to target only one.

Then careful to stay out of reach of The Major's flailing hands I dragged Santiago away by his leg until he was free of my influence.

"Santiago, I'm going to keep him like that as long as I can. Once Alec tells me he is in the air I think The Major will be more compliant. I need you to keep a watch for pursuers, I don't suppose they will be far behind but every minute is a bonus. Did you see who attacked us?"

"Not really, it all happened so suddenly but I think there were three or maybe four of them. I only escaped because the wall close to me was already damaged and I was able to slip through a hole without making any noise and whoever it was they were more interested in the other two."

"Afton said one was Charlotte Whitlock so who did she get to help her?"

Santiago shrugged,

"Someone who can blast through steel doors with his or her mind. Does that ring any bells? You know most of the gifted vampires in our world."

I smiled at his recognition of my knowledge but it was true, Aro and I had the same hobby, hunting down gifts and collecting them for the Volturi but there were none more powerful than Alec and I...were there?

I didn't have time to think about it while The Major was fighting so hard against my gift and he had made it to his knees readying to renew the attack when my phone rang with a message from Alec, he, Afton, and the girl were on the plane and preparing for take off. I smiled as I freed The Major to stagger to his feet,

"Before you attack me you might want to know that the girl is already on her way to Volterra with Alec and Afton."

He hesitated then I saw his shoulders slump and knew I had won.

"Sensible move Major. Now, I take it you will be coming with us? I know Aro is very keen to speak with you. I'm sure you already know this but he doesn't react well to betrayal so I hope you have a really good excuse by the time you meet him again. I'm curious, why would you risk death for a simple human girl and not even a beautiful or alluring one?"

He ignored me shrugging free of Santiago's grip and I nodded,

"Don't worry Santiago, The Major wants to go with us, he's going to follow like a dog after a bitch in heat."

That got a reaction, he snarled but I just smiled, we both knew I was correct, he would go back with us like a docile little puppy because we had the girl and he had been trying so hard to protect her, even betraying the Volturi in order to do so, knowing that was a capital offence as far as the brothers were concerned. What I couldn't quite understand was why? She was nothing special, she had put our world at risk and she was a weak silly little human girl, surely he hadn't fallen in love with her? Still, that was more believable than the alternative, that he had recognised his mate in her, now that really would be something to laugh about, The Major and a puny human!

 **Bella**

When I woke up I had a splitting headache and felt sick and when I tried to sit up the room spun or at least I thought it was a room but not one that I recognised and there was a low hum that vibrated through me. Where was I? And what had happened? I tried to remember and the last thing I could recollect was standing in a huge room of some kind when the walls disintegrated but that couldn't be right now could it? I went back a little, I remembered a visit from a detective, Sally's death and then leaving my apartment hurriedly because...

When the memoires came back I groaned then sat up hurriedly terrified of what I might see but I was alone in a...I glanced out of the window and all I could see were clouds. Oh God, I was on a plane and we were flying who knew where. I must have been hit by some flying masonry and blacked out so I had no idea what had happened, had more Volturi arrived? No, after all they wouldn't have attacked, we were already captured which meant someone had come to save us. Had they managed it? Was I being taken somewhere safe? If so where were the others Jasper, Darius, and Peter?

I heard a chuckle from behind me and turned to see a young man staring at me with a decidedly unpleasant smile on his face. I recognised him as the girl's mirror image brother...Alec, yes that was it and with a sinking feeling I realised we hadn't escaped, I was trapped in an aeroplane with the Volturi presumably on our way to Italy and Volterra, but where were the others?

I staggered to my feet and his smile disappeared,

"Sit down,"

"I need the bathroom."

"I said sit down."

"No, I need the bathroom and I do not intend to wet myself just for your delight so shut up and point me in the right direction before I pee all over the floor."

I'd decided I had nothing to lose, the Volturi would kill me anyway once they retrieved the papers but then I remembered I had hidden them and I didn't remember telling the girl where so maybe I still had a chance.

I stared at him coldly,

"Well?"

He pointed to the rear of the planer scowling and I made my way slowly and carefully to the bathroom hanging on to the back of the other seats as I still felt very dizzy.

Once in the bathroom I sat down with a sigh of relief and looked at myself in the mirror then groaned. I guess I had looked worse but I couldn't remember when, my face was even more pale than usual but a part of that was dust and grime from the damage to the building, I had a livid bruise on my forehead, the source of my headache and dizziness I guessed and blood streaks from a cut over one eye that was puffy and would probably turn black in a while. I filled the small basin with warm water and gently sponged the dust and blood off my face then examined my wounds, I would live, for a while anyway, but I was worried sick about the others, especially Jasper.

After a few sips of the none too cold water from the tap, I felt a little better and bracing myself walked back to my seat relieved to find Alec gone although he reappeared moments later from the front of the plane.

"Where are Jasper and the others?"

He ignored me retaking his seat and staring ostentatiously out of the window, the ignorant little prick!

"I said where are the others? Are you deaf?"

I had no idea if I would anger him or what he would do if I did but right now my only defence was offence and I wasn't going to let him see how frightened I was under all the bluster.

He turned to me startled, I guess he wasn't used to being spoken to like this but I didn't care.

"They'll be along later now sit down and shut up before I knock you out like I did The Major."

I remembered Jasper's unseeing stare and strange immobility,

"You did that? How?"

He sighed but decided to humour me,

"It's my gift, I can cut you off from all your senses so you sit like a marble statue and while you do I could gouge out your eyes or cut out your tongue and you would know nothing about it until, I freed you. Scared now?"

"No, you're just a bully and a coward. You use your gift because you're too scared and too weak to face someone like Jasper."

His scowl deepened and I saw he was contemplating using his gift on me but then he turned away once more and I sat back in my seat, I'd pushed him as far as I dared but at least I knew what he could do. Unfortunately, I still had no idea where my companions were or even if I would ever see them again and I knew I was headed into the most dangerous place for any human despite what the legends might say about the town of Volterra.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty Seven**

 **Bella**

When we landed I wasn't sure what to expect but it certainly wasn't the shiny black sedan with darkly tinted windows that waited with its engine running beside the plane. I looked around, this wasn't an airport terminal, not the kind I was used to anyway, it was a private one and the hanger near which we had stopped was well away from any prying eyes.

Alec gestured for me to follow him down the steps and just for an instant I debated refusing but I would only be dragged or carried off so I followed but I was tempted to give him a shove hoping he might fall and give me the opportunity to run but where would I go? I only suspected this was Italy and I was being taken to Volterra but I had no idea where I was or who I could trust to ask for help. Besides if Jasper and the others came looking for me, all supposing they were still alive, they would naturally head for Volterra.

I slid into the back of the car relieved when Alec joined the driver in the front and sat back looking out of the windows but they were so heavily tinted I could see very little. Was this merely for privacy or was it true that the sun affected vampires in some way? I guessed I would soon find out unless they lived underground in Volterra. The thought of gloomy catacombs filled with coffins of damp earth made me shudder but then I realized I was being silly. I knew vampires lived in houses just like humans after all the Cullen's had been vampires or at least some of them like Jasper. The last thing I needed to do right now was to frighten myself with stupid superstitions that I knew to be untrue.

As we drove out of the city I began to recognise the road, we were going to Volterra as I had thought and I wondered if my parents were now safe since the Volturi had me. Of course, they didn't have the papers but I would be crazy to bargain with vampires, they weren't going to allow me to leave even if they had the documents in their hands, I doubted they would even allow me to live unless…..I shuddered, would they feed on my blood until I died and became a vampire too? The very idea made me feel physically sick and I had to concentrate to stop myself throwing up on the spotless cream leather upholstery. The Volturi may be bloodthirsty vampires but they certainly had good taste and plenty of money, a private jet and this luxury sedan, where did they get all their money? Did they steal the money of their victims? Maybe being immortal they had accumulated it over the centuries.

As we drove through the town wall into Volterra I remembered with sadness the last time I had done so with Sally before the nightmare began. We had been so naive, so carefree and happy and now she was dead and I was about to meet the royalty of the vampire world. I would probably be joining her soon but better that than become one of the living dead.

We passed the small hotel where Sally and I had stayed and the bar where we sat outside to eat, the same bar where I had seen Jasper appear from the clock tower with the beautiful woman, another vampire I guessed. It had never occurred to me that Jasper might be a vampire even when I discovered that they existed and that was where they made their home and I wondered why. Stranger still was that even when he admitted to me that he and his friends were vampires I hadn't been frightened of him and I had been able to trust Peter and Darius to keep me safe. Did that mean there were good and bad vampires? I guess I would soon find out as the car turned into a dark alley and pulled up at the end in the shadow of a huge arched doorway.

Looking up as I got out of the car while Alec held open my door I could see the clock tower looming above me and knew this was our final destination. I was about to walk into the vampire's lair and I took a deep breath of sweet fresh air to steady myself before stepping through the doorway jumping as the door shut with a soft boom behind me.

I turned to see Alec and the driver standing there but while the driver remained where he was as if they thought I might make a final bid for freedom, Alec walked past me almost silently before snapping an order over his shoulder.

"This way."

I followed him not feeling any better when I looked at the bare flagstone floor and bare stone walls we passed, did vampires really live like this?

At the end of the passage was another door but this led into a different world altogether. The floor was covered in a thick rich carpet that muffled our footsteps and the walls, painted white, were dotted with paintings, all original oils and even a dummy like me could tell they were both good and expensive. The light came not from windows but beautiful chandeliers that hung from the high vaulted ceiling producing a soft mellow hue that was strangely relaxing.

We didn't meet a soul as we walked for at least three more minutes but when we stopped outside a thick highly polished oak door I could hear voices in conversation which halted when Alec knocked gently.

"Come in Alec, we've been waiting for you and your guest."

The voice was soft and pleasant and as Alec opened the door gesturing for me to go before him I wondered what I would see.

The room was large and richly decorated with a huge oak table in the centre and the walls were lined with bookcases and paintings but it looked cosy rather than cluttered.

Seated around the table were three people, one I recognised with a start to be the man from the photographs, the legendary Saint Marcus but the other two were strangers. One of these, a man with long dark hair and chiselled features stood to smile and gestured for me to be seated.

"We've been waiting to meet you, Miss Swan. Allow me to introduce myself and my friends. My name is Aro although you may have already deduced as much, Marcus I think you already know by reputation at least, and this….."

He gestured to the third person,

"Is my dear brother's wife Athenadora who is standing in for her husband while he is otherwise engaged."

The woman snorted but it did nothing to detract from her ethereal beauty, I thought she was probably the most beautiful woman I had ever seen although there was a flicker of age and wisdom in her eyes that belied her youthful looks and I wondered just how old she really was.

"Please, sit down. We have much to discuss."

I took the chair Aro gestured to and tried very hard not to show just how terrified I really was.

I listened as he told me how he and Marcus had discovered the existence of the documents we had been given only after Sally and I left Italy and how important it was that they are returned to their rightful owners, the Volturi.

"So you see Miss Swan it would be in the best interests of you and anyone you hold dear to return them."

I didn't miss the implicit threat in those words but before I could answer him Alec jumped in.

"She doesn't have them, I told you that Aro. She says she hid them somewhere but we didn't have time to look for them once we were attacked."

Aro stared at the young man for a moment and I hoped that he would never look at me in the same way, it made my blood run cold.

"Yes, you did Alec, but perhaps you could tell me how they got from Alberto Sonsino to Miss Swan?"

Alec frowned,

"Me? How would I know? I didn't even know they or the old man existed until you told me."

"Really? Now that is strange but we can go into that later. I'm sure Miss Swan would rather conclude her business here first."

He turned those scary red eyes back to me,

"Where are they, Miss Swan?"

I hesitated but there was no point in lying, it would just delay the inevitable and I knew I was going to die so why prolong the agony?

"I hid them in a tree at a parking area about ten miles from the Red Ace Diner on I 5 north of Roseburg. I could show you if you like?"

I startled even myself with my flippancy and saw Marcus smile briefly, maybe he liked that I wasn't frozen with fear.

"I don't think that will be necessary, I already have people on the ground there and with your concise directions, I think they will have no trouble finding it. Thank you for your cooperation in the matter."

"So, now what?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Now what? What happens to me? I mean you aren't going to let me go, I know too much."

He sighed smiling briefly,

"How true but there is no need to be hasty, we can take our time to decide on the best way forward, besides I understand your friend The Major will be joining us in a few hours and he is very keen to see that you are unharmed so it would be churlish to deny him that. Perhaps Athenadora would escort you to your quarters and if you need anything please inform her."

"You're not going to kill me?"

I was amazed,

"Not just yet no, I'm rather interested in you Miss Swan."

I decided to make use of his interest,

"What about my parents?"

"Your parents? Oh, they are quite safe, if they had known anything it would be different but both are going about their business as usual and so long as neither shows any interest in our world they will remain safe. I doubt you would have said much to them, you were so unsure yourself of what was real and what was fiction."

I heaved a sigh of relief, I may be destined to die here in Volterra but at least my parents would be safe if Aro could be believed that was.

I followed the woman Athenadora out of the room unsure where I was going but from the way I had been treated so far I doubted it would be a dungeon. We passed a few other people, all red eyed vampires as we mounted a beautifully gilded staircase to a galleried upper floor with rooms leading off left and right.

She stopped outside one of these doors and pushed it open to reveal a suite of rooms decorated much as the gallery with paintings and thick carpets but best of all there were French doors leading out onto a balcony and I could see the sun and hear water splashing.

"Make yourself comfortable Miss Swan and if you need anything please ring the bell."

She gestured at a pull rope just inside the door.

"The door will not be locked but do remember you are our guest and any attempt to flee or call attention to yourself would be seen as a rejection of our hospitality. It would be better if you were to remain in your suite until such time as someone comes for you. It is almost time to dine and then we will be waiting to speak to Jane and The Major. I will send someone up with a meal shortly, do you have any preference?"

"Oh, no, anything. Thank you."

She had thrown me, I was being treated as an honoured guest rather than a prisoner!

When she had closed the door I moved swiftly to the balcony relieved to see an empty courtyard below with a fountain and to feel the sun on my face again. My rooms faced inwards rather than over the town square but I hadn't expected any different, they may be hospitable but they weren't stupid. I was pleased to think I would be seeing Jasper again, I missed him and felt strangely lonely now that we were apart and hoped Peter and Darius had escaped from the Volturi and were safe too and that whatever had caused the explosion in the hangar hadn't hurt either of them, if vampires could be hurt. A memory of them writhing on the ground came vividly to mind, so yes, they could be hurt, although I had no idea how Jane, the little bitch, did it.

Mentally and emotionally exhausted I sat down on the couch in my room and closed my eyes. I wanted to sleep but I was too afraid and someone would be coming with a meal for me soon. Maybe afterwards I could get a shower although I had no clean clothes to put on. I toyed with the idea of asking for some but decided against it, these were at least my own and felt comfortable and I could always rinse them out in the shower and dry them on the balcony although the idea of being virtually naked and vulnerable here wasn't something I cared to think about.

My thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door and when I opened it I recognised the woman I had seen with Jasper the first time I was in Volterra. She was even more beautiful up close and I must have been starting because she coughed to get my attention,

"Your meal."

I took it from her blushing furiously,

"Thank you."

"Athena said to tell you there are clothes in the bedroom, help yourself to whatever you want and if you need anything else just let us know."

She studied me for a moment then nodded,

"I remember seeing you in the square some month's ago although I didn't know it was you. Oh well, I must go. Enjoy your meal."

She turned and left and I stared after her, so she had seen me but Jasper hadn't, I could see why he would have been more interested in her than any mere human and that idea sparked a stab of jealousy in me and I laughed bitterly then turned my attention to my meal.


	28. Chapter 28

****Chapter Twenty Eight****

 **Jasper**

I couldn't stop thinking about Bella and how terrified she must be finding herself in the middle of the Volturi, surrounded by the very vampires who had already killed her friends, except of course Sally, that was down to me and I had no idea how I would explain it to Bella or gain her forgiveness. Of course, there may be no need to beg her forgiveness, Aro would no doubt insist on my execution for treason against the Volturi and I could hardly plead not guilty when I had been captured taking her away from Volterra and not sending the documents she held back to Marcus when he had ordered me to do so. Once back in Volterra my hands would be tied which meant I would be unable to help Bella and this knowledge as well as the fact that just maybe Aro would be interested enough in her to keep her alive or would use her as bait to lure me back and therefore keep her alive to do so decided my next move.

Jane was far too confident that I would follow her orders and go back meekly to Volterra and was therefore complacent which made it easy to creep up on my captors mentally as we drove to the airport. Jane and Afton went to sleep quietly with no warning but Santiago knowing me better was more alert and drove the car off the road and into some woods staggering out and dragging me from the back as I tried to untangle myself from the other two who had been travelling with me in the back.

We fought but he didn't really stand a chance as I used my gift quite ruthlessly sending him nor just to sleep like the other two but into a coma state from which I had no idea if he would ever recover. I checked the car over and pulling a dent out of the front wing which was scraping on the wheel from hitting a tree drove it back onto the road with two of my captors locked in the trunk still unconscious and Santiago laid out across the rear seat. It wasn't easy concentrating on driving and keeping the two in the trunk unconscious but I managed it long enough to get back to the abandoned hangar where I saw to my relief my friends still were.

When they recognised me they ran over to hear my news and Peter and Darius removed Santiago dragging him back into the ruined building and then came back for the other two.

"Watch them. I'll try to keep them under but I'm pretty well running on empty now."

They nodded and I went over to where our Saviour's stood to talk. Charlotte smiled and ran to hug me,

"Major, for a minute there I thought we were going to be too late. I don't think you know my friend Benjamin. Benjamin, this is The Major."

Benjamin was a tall slender youth with a broad smile and a strange almost pharaonic look to his features. He held out a hand and we shook,

"Major, I've heard a lot about you from my sire Amun."

Then it registered, Amun was a friend of Carlisle's although he never left Egypt from all accounts so what was Benjamin doing here and how were he and Charlotte friends?

"I see you recognise my name, I take it Carlisle spoke of my sire and his coven."

"Yes, but he said you stayed together in Egypt."

"We did until Amun and I quarrelled. He has always sought to control my every move. I think he fears that the Volturi might lure me away as they once did Demetri but he fails to understand I can take care of myself. I sent Tia, my mate over here first and then escaped myself. She met Charlotte through another of Carlisle's friends Carmen, you know her too I imagine. Charlotte has helped us to establish ourselves over here so when she told me of your plight I was only too happy to offer my services, I owe her a lot, Peter too."

There was a lot I didn't know these days but then having been in Volterra for so long I guess that was to be expected.

"You are aware that I am or maybe I should say was, Volturi?"

He shrugged,

"I guess I can take care of myself and I doubt you would force my hand Major, Carlisle always spoke very highly of your loyalty and honor. What do you plan on doing with these three?"

He gestured to where the three Volturi were now being guarded by Darius and Peter although all still slumbered peacefully.

"I don't know. Jane will make a good hostage if I can keep her docile enough, as for the other two, well Afton might be a problem with his gift…."

"Oh, I think a little dust storm should keep him visible until you decide what to do with him but the big one, that's Santiago isn't it?"

"Yes and I'm worried I might have sent him too deeply. I think I might need to contact Carlisle to keep him under observation until he wakes if he doesn't stir soon."

Benjamin studied me for a long time before speaking,

"He is your enemy now, most men would kill him rather than chance watching their backs in the future."

"I'm not most men and he was my friend. He's just following orders as I did, I won't kill him for that."

Benjamin nodded and smiled,

"You are as good as your reputation Major. If you want I will accompany you to Volterra, you might need my help."

"No, I wouldn't put you in danger Benjamin but thank you for all you have done here. If you will stay until I can arrange transport to Italy and hunt that would be helpful."

"It will be my pleasure and allow me to arrange a cell for your prisoners should they wake before you are ready."

He stepped back and turned raising his hands and closing his eyes. Moments later the earth opened revealing a deep chasm, too deep even for a vampire to escape from with sheer sides.

"Is that good enough?"

I nodded and called Peter over showing him the "cell" Benjamin had created,

"Great, Darius and I will transport our prisoners to their new quarters. You hunt, we can keep an eye on things with Charlotte and Ben here."

Knowing I could do nothing until I had hunted I took them at their word and left going into the nearest woods and grabbing a small deer but it wasn't going to be enough, not if I wanted my reflexes and mind to be in top condition and that was crucial if I were to stand any chance of saving Bella so with a heavy heart I cruised the edge of the nearest town until I saw my prey, two men harassing a young woman waiting for a bus. She never even saw me as I crashed into them pulling both into a nearby alley and snapping their necks. Much as I hated drinking human blood I was prepared to do whatever it took to save Bella's life and if possible, my own.

With the human blood coursing through my body I called Volterra as I ran back to the others and demanded to be put straight through to Aro. Bella wasn't going to be there yet and I needed to explain the situation to him before she arrived.

"Major?"

"Yes, I know you were expecting Jane or possibly Santiago but I'm afraid they are all indisposed right now."

"I see."

"I'm not sure you do but I'll lay it out for you. The girl Bella, when she arrives in Volterra you will do nothing to harm or frighten her any more than she already is. You will look after her needs and treat her as a guest until I get there."

"And why should I do as you demand Major? After all, I'm the aggrieved party here."

"You'll do it if you want your favourite little witch back, not to mention Afton and Santiago, all in working order."

"You expect me to believe you have overcome all three and can continue to do so until you reach Italy? That's rather a tall order even for you Major."

"It's up to you if you want to gamble that I'm lying go ahead but I'm guessing Alec will be useless without his sister and can you really afford those odds?"

"Why is this girl so important to you?"

"You'll find out provided you do as I ask."

"Ask? Demand I think would be a more appropriate word. And if I agree you will want to take your leave of us with the girl? You understand there must be some kind of punishment for your treason?"

"I understand but the girl's safety must be guaranteed by you and your brothers on behalf of all the Volturi. I want your word of honour Aro."

"I'll speak to my brothers but for now you have my word that the girl will not be ill treated in any way."

It was as much as I could have asked for and more than I expected so I was content and once in the air, I would ask to speak to Bella myself and assure myself she was being looked after. As for the future, well, we would have to see about that. For now, I had to discuss what I had planned with my friends because I knew there was no way they would allow me to walk back into Volterra blindly and I needed someone who would look after Bella while I paid for my betrayal even if it meant my life.

"No, no, no, are you out of your fuckin' mind Major? You're free and you could soon disappear. Kill the bitch and the other two then come with us."

"And what about Bella? If I don't go back Aro will kill her."

Peter opened his mouth to point out that she was just a human then caught himself in time,

"OK, so we arrange a prisoner exchange, Bella for Jane and the others, somewhere neutral."

"And Alec captures us all? No, Aro's right, I betrayed my trust and I must be seen to be punished or there will be anarchy but I need you and Darius to take care of Bella for me, keep her safe. I trust Aro's word if he gives it."

"And if he doesn't?"

"Then we tear Volterra apart until we find her and then take the Volturi down."

"I prefer the sound of the second option but that's just me."

Charlotte sighed, she knew Peter would always choose to fight first but a peaceful outcome would be much better all round and I didn't want to destroy the Volturi, I still believed in them and what they stood for.

I was relieved when the guys agreed to come with me and take care of Bella. She would be safe enough with them and Charlotte would make sure she felt comfortable. They would explain to her that she was safe and could resume her old life so long as she never spoke of anything she had discovered. In the meantime, I would stand trial as Aro wanted and accept my punishment whatever it might be. I would have lost Bella, the girl who I had recognised as my soul mate but I would have saved her life and that made everything worthwhile. I didn't expect I would ever see her again, she certainly didn't see me in the same light I saw her and there was no way she would want to be mixed up in my world if she could be free of it. I just hoped she would find love in her world and be happy while I had my memories of her to keep me sane as I served my sentence for a crime I would freely admit to committing for love of her.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty Nine**

 **Bella**

It was strange, although I was in the centre of the vampire world I wasn't so much afraid as confused. They had killed at least four people for knowing about the documents the old man had given us yet I was being treated as a guest, meals were brought in from restaurants in the town, I had my own suite of rooms and Athenadora had even invited me down to the courtyard below my suite to meet Aro's wife Sulpicia who was pleasant but not as friendly as Athena, as she insisted I call her. I saw no other vampires, or humans come to it, not even Alec although I knew he was still here because I overheard Sulpicia ask Athena if he was still in Aro's study. How long this treatment would last I had no idea but I wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. I just wished I knew the guys were OK and where Jasper was.

The more time I spent here alone the more my memory of Forks and the Cullens returned yet I had hardly spoken to Jasper all the time I went out with Edward, in fact, I only ever saw him at school and then he was always with Alice and seemed either shy or aloof but he was the only person I could think about now, the only person I wanted to see and I couldn't understand why. I did wonder if the Cullens knew I was here, if Edward knew, and if he did what he thought about it. We had meant a lot to each other for a very short time before something changed very quickly and I soon forgot all about him.

Jasper had said the family hadn't thought about me either and I wondered if perhaps there was a vampire with the gift of amnesia but if so why on earth would he or she have aimed their gift at me? I was no threat to the Cullen's, I didn't even know what they were still, it gave me something to puzzle over when I couldn't sleep my first night in the Volturi stronghold.

 **Marcus**

I had been surprised by Aro's actions towards the human girl until he explained his conversation with The Major.

"Do you think he will return?"

"Yes, despite his actions he is still a man of honour and I am curious to discover the reasons for his recent behaviour but I think we have more important things to deal with right now."

I nodded,

"Alec? Yes, where is he?"

"In Chelsea's company, although he seemed ignorant that he might be in any trouble, curious don't you think?"

I shrugged, after all, it was my word against Alec's and Lilliana had done exactly as she had agreed to.

"If you still suspect me why don't you just come right out and say so?"

Aro eyed me closely before answering my question.

"No, I don't doubt you, and the girl, the old man's granddaughter, backed up your suspicions. I just find it odd that Alec is untroubled, after all, he knows what this assignment was all about."

"I don't find it strange at all. I have warned you time and time again that Alec is ambitious and arrogant. You have shown such favour to him and his sister since we saved them from death centuries ago that they see themselves as something better than anyone else. Alec has designs on our thrones, my brother, you should be careful. I have heard rumours that he has spoken to several of the guards, sounding them out about the possibility of becoming his men."

Aro looked at me sharply,

"Why haven't I heard about this?"

"I didn't deem it necessary as they came straight to Felix to report their conversations and he, in turn, informed me. No one would be willing to betray you."

"Really? What do you call The Major's actions if not betrayal?"

"I'm not sure yet but he would never stand beside another against you, The Major is not a traitor, this has been brought about by something else…"

Aro pondered on this and eventually nodded,

"I am inclined to believe that Marcus, it's why I agreed to his terms, well one of the reasons although if the twins have designs on the throne they will find themselves in very deep trouble."

We left his study and walked the short distance to Chelsea's quarters where she and Alec were playing chess but both jumped up when we entered.

"Aro, I don't understand why I have been asked to wait here when all I desire is to clean up and…"

His voice petered out as he saw Aro's expression,

"Is there something wrong? It's not Jane, is it? I told her to come with me but she wouldn't listen. I don't know why you insist on putting her in control of assignments when she is so erratic."  
"You think I should put you in control of the guard?"

Alec shrugged as if it didn't matter much to him,

"I just think she is too emotional, she doesn't make decisions with a cool head as I would."

"I see, well, I'll certainly think about it Alec but there is a small matter that needs clearing up first."

He looked so innocent yet I knew there was not a more clever and manipulative mind in Volterra, except perhaps for Aro himself.

"Chelsea, I wonder if you could leave us for a while."

She nodded but as she left I saw her throw Alec a puzzled look, the idea of one of the twins being in trouble was alien to her but from Aro's tone and whatever he had said to her to keep Alec occupied she knew things had changed. The very fact he had Renata at his side showed clearly enough that he expected possible trouble and of course there was always the possibility that Alec might try to use his gift if he felt threatened although both Aro and I were fast enough to take him down before he could build up enough power to affect us and he knew it. Of course, desperate men did desperate things and I thought Alec would be feeling pretty desperate by the time Aro had finished with him but better him than me.

Alec stood aghast as Aro proceeded to lay before him the charges which had been laid against him.

"Me? I never knew anything about any documents or pictures until I found out that Marcus had arranged to protect the Sonsino's, he is the one to blame for them getting into the human's hands, not me."

"Is that so? And if I have a witness against you?"

Alec sneered tossing me a sarcastic look,

"You mean him? Marcus would say anything to keep himself safe, he's lying."

"Really? So, you can think of no one else who might have given evidence against you?"

"No. of course not, how could there be anyone else?"

Aro shook his head sadly,

"When I saved you and your sister in that village centuries ago I thought I had earned your loyalty but it seems I was wrong….about you anyway and your jealousy of your sister ill becomes you, Alec."

The younger man tried to interrupt but Aro held up a hand to silence him and he subsided uneasily.

"I already have one criminal to deal with, I will not allow the Volturi to think I am losing my grip which is fortunate for you Alec as there will be no trial and no death sentence."

Alec was staggered by these words and looked suddenly very young and vulnerable,

"Instead you will remain here and to all outward appearance there will be no change between us but you will show me loyalty, Marcus, too, and there will never be a recurrence of your betrayal."

Alec knew what had happened, as we were talking Chelsea used her gift on him and he was now Aro's man through and through.

"May I at least know who told you such lies?"

"Of course, why not since it makes no difference any longer. You were betrayed by that young human you showed so much interest in, Lilliana Sonsino."

Alec crumpled, this knowledge, that somehow Lilliana had been turned against him, was the bitterest blow of all. He nodded and when dismissed left his head hanging low in defeat.

"So, dear brother, one problem solved and one more to deal with. What do you think we should do with regard to Lilliana and her family? After all, they are still in possession of dangerous information."

I never even hesitated,

"It makes no difference to me, kill them or let them live, after all, they have no way of proving what they know and I doubt Lilliana or her father really believed Alfredo's words."

Aro smiled,

"I see you are in agreement with me brother, that is good as Athenadora and I have already spoken on the matter but of course we wanted to hear your opinion."

"Oh, and what have you decided?"

His smile told me that not only had they decided what to do but their decision had already been carried out.

"So, you hadn't heard? Lilliana and her father perished in a house fire last evening, a tragedy but better to tie up loose ends I think."

I nodded although I regretted I had been unable to help them, still, I kept my promise to her grandfather, Alec would never bother Lilliana again. I had also muzzled Alec which made me much more comfortable.

Now, all we had to do was to ensure The Major paid for his betrayal and presumably allow the girl to live, at least for a while although I had no doubt she would meet with an accident after a suitable passage of time.

"What are we going to tell Jane?"

Aro shrugged,

"The truth, of course, she knows her brother's weakness for power, she will understand our decision, especially when the alternative was to end his life. Jane too is ambitious Marcus but she has a better, more cautious head on her shoulders, she is not rash like Alec. She knows that one day there will be another seat on the ruling council and she is working to ensure it is offered to her."

"Are you anticipating the loss of one of us?"

Aro looked shocked but it could have been an act, he would have done well on the stage!

"No, of course not but there were originally six of us as you know and after such a length of time, we must fill poor Didyme's place. I had hoped you might find yourself a woman Marcus but it seems that is not to be so perhaps we should think about offering it to someone here."

"If you had asked I could have told you there will never be another woman for me, Aro, Didyme's memory is as alive today as it was the day she died. So, if you wish to ask Jane to join us I will not object but I think she should be offered the place on a temporary basis at first, just until we are sure she fits."

"A good idea Marcus, now let us visit our latest guest, I'm intrigued to see what it is about the girl that fascinates The Major so much."

"Do you really intend to give him your word to leave her safe in her world?"

"Do you know something Marcus? I am actually tempted to do so but it really depends on what we discover when he arrives which should be in the next couple of days and meanwhile we must ensure our guest has everything she needs."

I followed him out not sure exactly what he really intended but I knew there was something that interested him about this girl and I was sure that when we saw her next he would be sure to shake her hand and discover all he could while I would be interested in seeing her and The Major together because I had a suspicion that there was more behind his efforts to keep her safe than mere friendship. No matter what Carlisle said about the family only knowing this girl very slightly there was a link between The Major and the girl I was sure of it and I wondered what Aro would do when he found out.


	30. Chapter 30

****Chapter Thirty****

 **Carlisle**

I had no idea what was happening in Volterra and there was nothing I could do to help anyone but I could try to discover what had happened to my family and I knew in my heart that William was at the bottom of it all so leaving Esme at home hoping she would be safe there I contacted Jenks, the family lawyer in Seattle and asked him to trace the last location of William's cell phone, he was used to strange requests although until the trouble started his contact had always been Jasper. I had begged my wife to accompany me but she refused to leave our home.

I had begged my wife to accompany me but she refused to leave our home.

"If the others come back I don't want it to be to an empty house, Carlisle."

I tried to point out that there was no one left to come home, Alice had gone into hiding with Garrett, Rose and Emmett were still months away from the end of their trip to Nepal and Edward had started a new life with his fiancée in Italy but Esme wouldn't be budged, she was living on hope and prayer and nothing I said made any difference. I knew that even when I had my answers I would still be left with a wife who had lost everything that mattered to her but I hoped perhaps I could at least explain why and maybe even offer her a second chance at happiness with a new family.

It wasn't easy tracing William even with the information I obtained from Jenks but although it had been years since I last used my tracking skills I hadn't forgotten what Demetri had taught me and I did have one big advantage, I knew William and the kind of places he liked to call home. It took me a week but finally, I tracked him down to a hunting lodge in the Tatshenshini-Alesk Provincial park in British Columbia, so he was closer than I had imagined although far enough that it took me two days once there to find his home.

His face, when he recognised me walking towards him from where I had parked my snowmobile, was inscrutable but I smiled,

"I don't suppose you expected to see me again William did you? But I'm afraid you left me very little choice when you refused to speak to me further. I'm not staying, but I do need a few answers."

He shrugged, turned, and walked back inside his lodge but he left the door open so at least he was willing to listen to me. He looked somehow weary and bitter but then hiding from the Volturi for centuries was likely to wear a man down. Inside it was sparsely furnished, most of the interior was filled with books, wildlife photographs which covered the walls, and bone carvings which sat on every available flat surface.

Inside it was sparsely furnished, most of the interior was filled with books, wildlife photographs which covered the walls, and bone carvings which sat on every available flat surface.

"I see you still carve."

I picked up a carving of an old fashioned whaling boat and studied it,

"This is good, do you sell them?"

"No, and I don't suppose you came here to discuss my hobbies. I have no wish to talk to you, not about my carvings or anything else Carlisle but since you found me I guess I have little choice but to hear what you have to say."

I sighed and sat down opposite him on a hardwood chair that had also been intricately carved by my host.

"I need to know what you did William."

He just stared at me,

"Look, I know I hurt you badly….."

"You betrayed me, Carlisle, I trusted you and you betrayed that trust."

"I didn't sell you out to the Volturi William, whatever you choose to believe but I think you did something to my family and I need to know what that was and why."

He laughed, he was genuinely amused!

"I always keep my word, Carlisle, you know that."

"But who asked you to? My family has fallen apart and it had to have been you, no one else has that kind of power."

"I take it you've checked up on that my friend? Spoken to Eleazar have you? I guess you'd be forced to start up a new crusade to pressure such a person to join the all powerful Volturi if you found otherwise. Well, it's nice to know I'm still the only one but I wouldn't help you even if I could."

"And you don't? Does it please you that my life has been ruined? That my family has fallen apart? That a young human woman is being hunted by the Volturi at this very moment because of what happened? Because of what you did."

He leaned forward staring straight into my eyes,

"I don't care, Carlisle, no. Your family means nothing to me, nor does some nameless human, not even your friend The Major, but now you can sit impotently by watching your world fall apart knowing there is nothing you can do about it, just as I was forced to do and don't try to take the moral high ground with me, Carlisle, remember I know you."

He was enjoying this, he had been the one to destroy everything that mattered to me and I knew why, what I didn't know was why now? His bitterness had grown certainly but he'd had years to pay me back if he felt like that so why had he waited?

"You've had centuries to get revenge for what you believe I did to you so why now? Why wait all this time William?"

"I could say why not but I won't, I waited until now because I was given the perfect opportunity. You weren't worthy of my notice until you turned up in my life again."

"Me? I came to you? Why don't I…"

Then it hit me and I felt sick to my very soul, I had asked for William's help and he had given it but not as I had hoped or expected. He had waited until I needed help, the kind of help only he could provide and used my own plea to make me suffer.

"I asked for your help and you decided to pay me back in kind, you made every member of my family forget why they loved each other, what made us a family."

He smiled, an unpleasant look on his usually neutral face,

"Betrayal's a bitch isn't it Carlisle? Do you ever look around and wonder where it all went? How your perfect little world fell apart in a matter of months? You should be grateful I didn't make your precious Esme forget that she loved you too. I won't deny that I toyed with the idea but decided I was better than that, I would never come between a mated couple, that's the only reason Rosalie and Emmett are still together. Besides, they were innocent parties, but I knew I could tear your world apart so easily and cause you the kind of pain that never goes away."

"You destroyed Jasper and Alice's relationship and that of Edward and Isabella S….."

Something went click in my mind and more memories came flooding back, how Alice had come to me begging for help to keep the family together, how she had seen that everything would fall apart unless we freed ourselves from Bella and as a result, I had turned to William.

"Do your memories make you feel any better Carlisle? I promised I wouldn't tell you what you had asked me to do but I never said I wouldn't let you remember at some time in the future. I hope you feel the torments of hell."

I hung my head, realising that I had handed William the means for revenge and he had taken them. This was all my fault not his, if I had stayed away from him he would never have acted, he wasn't vengeful enough to come hunting for me.

How would I ever be able to explain to Esme what I had done? For centuries I had tried to be the better man, to walk the moral high ground but when it came down to it I was no better than the most savage nomad, people had been destroyed because of my actions, innocent people like Bella Swan and Alfredo Sonsino.

"Will the others remember?"

He shook his head,

"I told you at the time it was a one way street unless a powerful emotion like the mating pull came along and your family are all past that stage, Emmett and Rosalie will never feel the closeness they once did to you or Esme, Alice is now with Garrett and they will drift further from you as the months and years move along. As for Edward, well I knew he was the apple of your eye so I made doubly sure he would never care for you again. I understand he's getting married, did you get an invitation? No? Pity. You should meet his wife to be, she is a gold plated bitch who will make his life a misery and he will never even realize it. You see my gift is more powerful than even you imagined, I can make you forget or remember, conjure emotions you never had and kill those that you did."

"So you've been keeping an eye on my family?"

"Oh yes, I would hate for anyone to drift back to cheer your sterile cold little life."

"So, how did Jasper remember Bella? Did you slip up there William?"

He smiled,

"No, true love intervened but even there I see a twist. The Volturi have his mate and in order to save her, he will be forced to sacrifice himself. What a pity."

I was horrified, Jasper and Bella were mates? Surely he couldn't destroy that?

"Oh don't look at me like that, that's not my doing. The girl merely got herself involved in something she shouldn't have and The Major on seeing her realized what she was so he couldn't kill her and he had limited options to save her life. Thinking of flying in to save them, Carlisle? Good luck with that, I doubt Aro will listen to pleas for clemency for a traitor but be my guest and take your best shot, you and he are such good friends after all. It won't redeem you but it might make you feel a little less of the cowardly backstabber that you really are. Now get the hell out of my house and don't come back or next time I will use my gift on Esme. Oh, and Carlisle, don't try making a new family…...it won't last as long as the first one did I'll see to that."

I left with no idea what to do next, he had made it perfectly clear that Esme and I were on our own and that I could do nothing to bring our family back together. What a fool I had been to trust him, no, to even approach him knowing how he felt about me. I was powerless…...no not quite, I could try to save Bella and Jasper if only I could get to Volterra before Aro acted against him. William was right about Aro and I being friends so he might just be willing to hear me. I tried calling Jasper but his phone was switched off, likewise, Peter Whitlock's and even Darius' phone went straight to voice mail. I had no idea if the three were together or if Bella was with them or as William said already in Volterra.

I called Esme and asked her to meet me at Boston international airport. I would rent a private jet to get us to Italy as fast as possible and hope I could speak up on Bella's behalf to the brothers. If I was too late…...well at least I would have tried, they were the only two people it was still in my power to help and I would do my utmost to keep them alive and together. During the flight, I would have to come clean with Esme, tell her everything and hope she could forgive me or there would be nothing at all left of all that I had worked for so hard over the past hundred years.


	31. Chapter 31

****Chapter Thirty One****

 **Bella**

When I heard a knock on the door I thought it was probably Athena back, after all, she was my only visitor other than the guy who had brought my meals, so I was taken aback when I opened the door to find a stranger standing there. He was tall with long blond hair that fell to his shoulders and the same red eyes as the rest of the Volturi but there was something different about him, the way he carried himself, his attitude, that told me he was someone special or thought he was.

He didn't wait to be invited in but stepped forward forcing me to back up until he was inside and the door closed at his back. Then he smiled and I felt my skin crawl, this man was acting strangely, he was the first vampire I had met since I got here who gave me the shivers just from his attitude.

I guess he was handsome, I'd yet to see an ugly vampire, but it was clear that he knew it. He had the air of someone who always got his way, an arrogance I had seen to a lesser degree in Alec and Jane. When he spoke his voice was soft yet still unpleasant.

"I heard we had a visitor and I thought I would come and introduce myself."

He held out a hand but I pretended not to notice,

"I can see why my brothers and The Major find you so interesting."

I waited for the introduction but he was more interested in staring at me than telling me who he was and I suddenly felt very uncomfortable, it was the kind of scrutiny that would get a man arrested in my world!

Deciding to take the initiative and pretty sure this was Athena's husband Caius I spoke up,

"I'm sorry, we haven't been introduced, I'm Bella Swan and you are?"

I hoped to gain his full attention or at least remove it from my body but he answered without taking his eyes from my chest,

"I'm Caius Volturi, one of the rulers of our world."

Oh yes, the arrogance ramped up as he expected me to be awed by that pronouncement but I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction,

"Oh, Athena's husband."

That got his attention, he looked up and he wasn't happy that I had made the connection.

"You've met my wife, have you? Well, I guess it was bound to happen but let's not talk about her. Why don't we sit down and you can tell me all about yourself Bella."

I didn't like hearing my name on his tongue, especially the way he said it, nor did I like the way he herded me over to the couch so my knees caught on the seat and I almost fell into it. He joined me sitting way too close and I tried to edge away but I was cornered. He smiled and leaned even closer.

"Now, tell me about yourself, do you have a boyfriend or husband? What did you do to end up here?"

The way he said it I knew it made no difference to him if I were an exotic dancer or a nun, I was female and that was all that interested him.

I felt a cold hand on my thigh through the thick denim of my jeans and froze, was he really going to assault me here and now?

I stood up abruptly taking him off guard,

"I think you should leave, your wife will be coming soon to bring me lunch."

His eyes narrowed but then he laughed,

"Are you frightened of me sweet Belladonna? It would be good to have a friend in high places here and I could be a very good friend to you."

He had stood up and put his frozen hands on my shoulders holding me in place as he bent down to smell my hair, his breath cold on my scalp.

"Hmm, you smell good enough to eat Belladonna but that would be a waste of such warm silky soft flesh."

One hand caressed my cheek and I wanted to scream but I doubted anyone would come to my aid, they wouldn't cross one of their rulers. No, I was on my own here and with a deep breath I moved sharply away putting the couch between us and wiped away his lingering touch with the back of one hand.

"I don't know how you usually treat women but this is not the way I like to be treated especially not by a man who already has a wife so please, go away."

He moved so fast I didn't see him but I found myself in his arms, his cold lips on mine and held so tightly I couldn't even struggle.

"Caius! What the hell do you think you are you doing? Bella is an honoured guest and you are a boorish pig now let her go immediately."

He let me go almost as quickly as he had grabbed me and turned to his wife who stood in the doorway looking both embarrassed and furious,

"Athena my love, I merely came to introduce myself to our guest and she felt faint, I didn't want her to fall and hurt herself so I caught her."

God, I felt sick just listening to him slither his way out of trouble,

Athena looked at me for confirmation and I hated the thought of hurting her feelings when she had been so kind to me so I just nodded but I think she knew the truth.

She was about to speak again when Aro and Marcus appeared behind her at the door and looked from Caius to me and then Athena. I knew I looked embarrassed and dishevelled and I hoped they didn't think I had been responsible for that but one look at the expression Marcus threw Caius told me that they were all only too aware of his reputation with females. Athena recovered herself first and spoke,

"It was a good thing you arrived when you did then Caius. Are you OK now Bella?"

I nodded moving away from my assailant and wrapping my arms protectively about me,

"I am now yes, thank you."

Aro stepped forward and took me gently by the elbow,

"You look a little fragile, my dear, let's go out onto the balcony where you can get some fresh air. Perhaps Athena would fetch you a glass of wine to fortify you."

I nodded only too pleased to get further away from the creepy Caius Volturi.

Standing on the balcony I took some deep breaths of the sweet smelling air and sat on the chair Aro pulled up to the pretty wrought iron table for me.

"I must apologise for my brother's conduct, he is apt to get carried away but I promise you he will not bother you again Bella. I'll have a guard check in on you from time to time to ensure you are not disturbed."

His expression did not fit his words, he looked at me with puzzlement in his eyes now holding my hand instead of my elbow. Realising I was watching him he collected himself smiled and let go,

"I apologise Bella if you still feel uncomfortable but if you feel up to talking with me I have been led to believe that you knew the Cullen family?"

That brought me up short, I hadn't expected to be questioned about them but I answered readily enough.

"Yes, I went to school with some of them."

His eyebrow arched scornfully but he didn't comment just continued his questioning,

"I think there was a little more to it than that."

I didn't know how much he knew, I could hardly remember myself but I nodded,

"Yes, I was friends with Alice and Edward."

"Really? And did either of them ever seem puzzled by you?"

Now it was my turn to frown,

"Puzzled? I'm not sure I understand the question, Aro."

"No matter my dear. You will doubtless be relieved to hear that The Major will be arriving tomorrow."

I was relieved although I thought it was probably even more dangerous here for him than it was for me as he had disobeyed orders in trying to save my life.

Aro bowed and seemed to skim the ground to the French doors then turned,

"Oh, thank you for your honesty regarding the documents, they have now been recovered and are on their way here."

I nodded and stayed where I was until I heard the door close praying I was on my own once more.

 **Aro**

"Caius, as you have finally decided to take an interest in what is happening here I would be grateful if you would come to my study so we can fill you in."

My dear brother wanted to argue but he knew better than to do so in public and with a surly nod he followed us back to my room and threw himself into one of the chairs like a petulant child. The rest of us made ourselves comfortable and then I began,

"How good of you to return to us Caius although your wife has done an admirable job in your absence. Are you back for good or is this merely a flying visit?"

"More like he smelt fresh meat."

I smiled at Marcus low spoken comment but Caius turned on him furiously when Athena snorted,

"Exactly what do you mean by that Marcus?"

"I'm sure you already know Caius, you just can't resist an innocent young woman, can you? In the human world, you would have met a painful and messy death years ago."

I could see Athenadora was becoming upset so I put an end to the discussion, for now.

"Let's concentrate on the matter at hand, shall we? The Major will be back tomorrow and he wants Bella's safety guaranteed in exchange for Jane, Afton, and Santiago."

Caius stood so quickly that his chair crashed to the floor,

"What? He's a traitor, torture their whereabouts from him then kill him and the girl and be done with it. He has the gall to try and bargain with us? How dare he?"

"He has three very important and valuable members of the Volturi in his hands Caius and we both know he will kill them without a second thought if anything happens to the girl."

"Why? What's so special about her?"

"Why don't you tell us, husband? You obviously saw something in her."

I put up a hand to stop the argument from bursting out again,

"Enough, perhaps you can answer that question, Marcus."

Marcus shrugged,

"I would have thought it obvious. The Major has worked for us with no problem since he arrived. He has been loyal and carried out every order given to him until now so the girl must be his mate."

Caius burst out laughing,

"Well, now I've heard it all, talk about Beauty and the Beast. Still, that makes things much easier, just threaten to kill her if he doesn't return the others to us unharmed."

"And what about our laws Caius? Or do you dismiss them as easily as common morals?"

"You'd do well to shut your mouth Marcus before I shut it for you. They are our laws, we made them so we can break them."

I shook my head,

"If we dismiss them so lightly how can we expect others to respect them? No, if Marcus is right then the girl will remain safe. The Major asked for my word of honour that she would remain safe from any actions from the Volturi if he gave himself up for trial and released his captives and I am minded to agree."

I turned to Athenadora and Marcus,

"What do you say?"

Both nodded their agreement and I was satisfied but Caius was not.

"I have a vote on this, not Athena, now I'm back she has no voice on the council."

"Actually she does brother. While you were away on your latest…...venture, we altered the composition of the council making both Sulpicia and Athenadora full members. Sulpicia is happy to vote with me so it seems you are in the minority."

He smashed his fist down on the table in anger and frustration splintering the wood as his fist went right through the thick oak.

"You can't do that, not without my presence, my vote. We three are the ruling council, you. Marcus and me, not our wives."

"Well, even if that were the case you are still outvoted but as you gave your wife full powers when you left without a word to anyone we could and did vote for a change. If you want to argue against it feel free but you won't win and I must warn you, Caius, that if you continue as you have over recent years we may be forced to vote you off the council altogether."

He stared at me dumbstruck, he really hadn't seen this coming, he was so arrogant and blinkered he thought he could do exactly as he liked, bring disgrace to the Volturi and his wife with some of his more outrageous actions and that there would be no consequences!


	32. Chapter 32

****Chapter Thirty Two****

 **Jasper**

The flight to Italy was made easier by Darius who arranged everything and flew us himself.

"I'll stay with the plane and as soon as Peter gets back here with Bella I'll be ready to take off. I know you trust the Volturi but I don't and I'll be happier once I'm back in the air and headed away from Italy."

"Just make sure Bella understands she's safe so long as she doesn't speak of anything she knows or has seen then check she has everything she needs, I'll leave my credit cards with you, switch the money from my account to hers and make sure she understands it's for her, to make up for all I've put her through."

"What do we tell her about you? She's sure to ask."

"Tell her I did what I had to, that I'm fine but we won't meet again."

He studied me,

"How are you gonna cope with that? She's your mate, Major."

"I'll manage, besides if it keeps her safe it doesn't matter about me."

I couldn't discuss it any further so went through to the cabin taking a seat and staring out through the window thinking of Bella while Peter kept an eye on our prisoners.

Now I had fed on humans again it was easy to control our Volturi prisoners, too easy. The lure of human blood had always been strong in me because I knew how much more powerful it made me and I knew going back to animal blood again would be hard even if I had the choice. If, as I suspected, Aro spared my life I would be under Chelsea's control and if he deemed it better to have me strong he would ensure she forced me to be content on human blood.

Peter was unusually silent during the flight, he'd made his objections and feelings known strongly before we flew out and had decided if I wasn't going to listen then he wasn't going to waste any more breath on me. Charlotte had wanted to come but we decided it would be better if she saw Benjamin safely on his way with Tia then arranged a safe house for Bella just until we were sure she was safe from the Volturi, a few weeks should be long enough, maybe a month, I would leave that up to her and Bella to decide.

The closer we got to Italy the better I felt but I knew it was an illusion because what I felt was the sensation of coming closer to my mate and within hours of arrival I hoped she would be in the air on her way home and far from me again. Still, while it lasted I would make the most of this feeling of warmth, try to fix it in my mind and relive it when I was alone once more. I doubted I would be sent overseas for some time and by the time I was allowed Bella would be an old lady or dead, such was the lot of a human but I prayed she would have had a fulfilled life with a man who loved and cared for her, maybe a family of her own and that when she finally closed her eyes for the very last time she might smile and say I had a good life. I just hoped she forgot all about me as quickly as was possible, if she had never remembered it would have been better but that just wasn't to be.

"Major, it's the Doc and he insists on talking to you."

I looked up and took the phone from Darius nodding my thanks and wondered what he could possibly want.

"Carlisle."

I listened as he explained about William and what had happened,

"So you see Jasper this is all my fault."

"Even if that's true it's a little late for soul searching now Carlisle, besides I think I've saved Bella's life and that's all that really matters.

"I'm flying into Pisa International in a few hours so please let me try to help by talking to Aro. He might listen to me."

"No, if you tell him about your friend then he'll make a deal sure enough but it will be you and Esme's safety for William's whereabouts."

"I'll settle for you and Bella being safe, Jasper. I owe you that much."

I was taken aback,

"You mean you'd hand your friend over to the Volturi for us?"

There was a heavy sigh,

"Yes, I would. I know you find that shocking Jasper but I've been doing a lot of thinking over the past few hours and I've come to the conclusion that I've deluded myself for too long. I'm no better than any other vampire when it comes down to it. I have enough blood on my hands Jasper but I'd like to do one good thing and if that means handing over someone who was once my friend to save an innocent girl and you, probably the most honorable man I've ever met then yes, I'll hand over William."

"What about Esme and the others?"

"I told you, William destroyed it all and if I stay in Volterra then Esme will stay too, she's been involved in this decision all along son. The others are beyond my reach but I can help you so please don't agree to anything until I get to Volterra."

I was amazed at Carlisle's choice but I wondered if it was really one he could live with, handing over a friend, even if that friend had betrayed you, was a hard thing to contemplate although I thought he was right, Aro might well be willing to swap Bella and me for William. Should I wait or should I continue with my own plan and let the chips fall where they would?

"Darius, can you track Carlisle's flight? How far behind us is he?"

"Give me a few minutes major."

"Don't trust the fucker, Major."

I shook my head at Peter,

"I don't know that I'll take him up on his offer but it's as well to know how close behind he is. Are they OK?"

He checked the sleeping Volturi,

"Just like Snow White in her glass coffin, makes me wish I had a couple of matches handy."

I rolled my eyes and Peter shrugged,

"Just wishful thinking. Imagine all the nomads who would rest easier knowing Jane is a crispy critter."

I ignored him, he wouldn't do anything much as he might want to, Jane wasn't well regarded by anyone outside the Volturi but it wasn't really her fault. She had been so young when changed and since then she had been treated as someone very special. Why should she worry about how others saw her?

"His flight is about six hours behind us, why?"

I shook my head,

"I just wondered. If you see him at the airport tell him to go home while he still can, that I have things under control."

"Do you?"

"As well as anyone can Darius but thanks for your concern."

When we landed Carlisle's plane had closed the gap slightly because we had to circle a while due to a security scare on the ground and a tail wind we had just missed. He was now only five hours behind us but still too far to make a difference and I didn't want him a prisoner of the Volturi, however gilded his cage might be.

We drove to a storage place Darius had rented in the outskirts of Pisa and while Peter moved the sleeping Volturi inside I contacted Aro again.

"I have your people ready for the exchange, is Bella OK? I want to speak to her."

"Certainly Major, just a moment."

I heard her voice then and a feeling of love swept through me but I fought the emotion down to speak to her.

"Bella, are you OK?"

"Yes, I'm fine. What's going on Jasper?"

"Nothing, you'll be free soon and a friend of mine will fly you home."

"Home? But…...I don't understand, I know about the Volturi, how can I go home?"

"Aro will explain the terms but you will be able to go home and you'll be safe. I just wanted to say goodbye."

There was a pause then I heard the fear in her voice,

"What did you do Jasper? What will happen to you?"

"I'll b e fine Bella don't worry about me. Now put Aro back on please."

"Jasper….please don't do anything stupid not for me."

"Put Aro on please and you do exactly what he tells you. Goodbye Bella."

The pause was longer this time but then I heard Aro's voice,

"Bella has gone with Athena Major so we can speak now. Marcus told me he suspected Bella was your mate, is that so?"

I knew if I said yes Bella could never leave Volterra because if she did then I would have to be allowed to leave too and that was never going to satisfy the Volturi sense of justice.

"No, she's just an old friend Aro. Now, you take her to the airport where a friend of mine will be waiting. Once I know she's in the air I'll bring the others back to Volterra."

"This friend at the airport, it wouldn't happen to be someone who has a certain grievance with a member of the council would it?"

"Why?"

The very fact he asked about Darius warned me that he already knew who had piloted the plane, he probably even knew exactly where the others were right now but he was prepared to go along with me for reasons of his own.

"It's of no importance, give us two hours and Bella will be there and I am trusting you to keep your end of the bargain."

"And I have your word of honor that Bella is and will remain safe from any Volturi influence or actions?"

There wasn't the slightest hesitation and I was satisfied.

"You have my word as leader of the Volturi."

"Then we have a deal."

 **Aro**

This was the perfect opportunity to dispose of a growing problem if I could get the agreement of the rest of the council and I went to find out.

Bella was still upset when half an hour later Athena brought her into my study,

"My dear sister has explained the terms under which you are being released from Volterra?"

She nodded,

"What about Jasper? He only disobeyed orders to protect me."

"Yes, so he said, to save an old friend, very noble of him but if you know him you will understand that he would never shirk his responsibilities so you will see that he must return."

She agreed reluctantly,

"But what will happen to him? I mean, what sentence is he likely to get for disobeying orders?"

"I wouldn't worry too much about that, he is far too valuable to lose as a commander."

She seemed relieved to hear that and I suspected Marcus had been correct but for now, I wanted my guards back safe and well along with The Major and I knew that however much she might worry about him the girl would keep to our agreement. The only clause I added that I had withheld from The Major was that if Bella breathed a word about us or our world she would not be the first one to suffer, her parents would. It just added extra pressure on her to remember her promise although I doubted it would be that long before we saw Miss Swan again.

In the not too distant future, I would send The Major to claim his mate and bring her back to change her. A guard with the gift she possessed would be priceless. I hadn't told my companions that she was a shield of some kind, not yet, it could wait. They had however agreed to my other suggestion and I saw great things for the new ruling council and the end of an ever growing problem that besmirched our reputation.

Caius was surprised to be asked to accompany Bella to the airport with Alec but agreed readily enough. He and Alec had always been close and I knew he had ideas of his own for the girl.

"Make sure she reaches the airport within the hour and hand her over personally Caius, I do not want to lose Jane and neither does Alec."

"She'll arrive on time Aro, stop worrying."

I smiled,

"Why should I worry Caius? You are so reliable as a rule but here comes Athena, it looks like she's going with you as a companion to Bella."

I waited as the women got into the back of the car and as Caius pulled away Athena waved gaily as if she didn't have a care in the world while he scowled frustrated in any plans he might have had. I turned away smiling to myself if only he knew that this would be our last parting. I didn't feel guilty about what I had suggested for him, his reckless and scandalous behavior was becoming more blatant and more dangerous, it was time to put a stop to it permanently and allow justice to be served at the same time.


	33. Chapter 33

****Chapter Thirty Three****

 **Bella**

I hated having to travel in the back of the car with Caius although with Athena joining us there was little he could do except grope my thigh where she couldn't see. There was something strange going on, the atmosphere seemed tense and I wondered if they planned on double crossing Jasper but the tension appeared to be coming from Athena, not Caius or Alec. I would have been happy to travel the whole way in silence but Caius appeared to pick up on the atmosphere and began to speak.

"It seems you are to fly away little Belladonna, your courageous Major surprises me, giving up his liberty if not his life to save yours."

Athena glared at him but I wanted to know more,

"What will happen to Jasper? He isn't really disloyal to the Volturi, he was just trying to save my life."

"How very noble of him considering that his speciality was always to kill humans or weren't you aware of his past?"

He could tell by my expression that I wasn't although I doubted anything that he said was the unvarnished truth and smiled.

"You weren't were you? How interesting….'  
"Caius, enough."

He threw his wife a contemptuous look that made me hate him even more and continued,

"You really think the Major is your pure knight on his white charger don't you little girl? Well, the truth is that he belongs in the deepest pit of hell and his horse is drenched in blood and fire shoots from its hooves at it gallops across the mangled bodies of all those humans he has killed. So you see, you might have been better off staying with us. Who is the real monster?"

I wanted to call him a liar but I remembered Edward's sarcastic comment and knew enough of vampires that I didn't expect any, not even Jasper, of being a saint with pure clean hands.

"I'll wait to hear about such things from his own mouth, I wouldn't judge anyone on your say so."

Caius hissed in anger and I think if it were not for Athena's presence he might well have struck me but instead, he had to be satisfied squeezing my thigh hard enough to make me cry out. At a fierce look from Athena, he turned his head and stared out of the window ignoring me for the remainder of the drive.

I couldn't help wondering if Jasper had been responsible for Sally's death, after all, Jane had said regretfully that it hadn't been her and the only person who had been in my apartment and would know Sally was involved was Jasper. If he had killed her and made it look like an accident how would I feel about him then? He had put himself in danger to save me, even to the extent of giving himself up to Volturi justice in exchange for my freedom but was that enough to allow me to forgive him? I really didn't know but I could hardly condemn him without hearing his side of things.

When the car pulled up at the security post on the private side of the airport I got out fast grateful to be rid of Caius presence although my thigh was throbbing from where he had pinched me the petty little creep!

"We'll wait here Caius, just make sure Bella gets safely aboard the plane."

He glared at Athena again, it was clear he hated taking orders, especially from his wife.

"I know what to do and I don't need any help, just wait."

As Athena climbed back into the car after a nod in my direction I thought I detected a look of expectancy or eagerness on her face which puzzled me, did she know something we didn't?

Caius grabbed my arm and yanked,

"Come on, I don't have all day, let's find the pilot and get rid of you."

I tried to struggle free but his grip was too tight and I knew I would have a bruise there too when he finally loosened his grip.

We walked into the hangar but it appeared deserted then we heard a muffled voice from the closed office.

"Is that the girl? I need someone to sign the manifest so I get paid."

Caius swore under his breath and pulled me over to the office but as he turned the handle the door flew open and he was yanked inside leaving me shut out and wondering what was going on. The noise coming from inside wasn't what I expected from the violent way Caius had been yanked inside, there were the sounds of low voices then I almost screamed as I felt a hand on my arm.

"Come with me Bella, you won't be held up long."

It was Athena and she wore a look of triumph, she had known someone was waiting for her husband and I thought she knew that he wasn't coming out of that office alive which meant there was another vampire who had lain in wait for him.

"Is it Jasper?"

She shook her head as we walked out into the cloudy evening air and I saw Alec innocently reading a book which he rested on the steering wheel, he had known too which made me suspect Aro and Marcus were also aware of what was going on.

"I'm sorry about the things Caius said about the Major, they may be true of his past but he was not in control of himself then. He's changed Bella so please don't judge him without at least hearing his side."

"I wasn't going to but will I ever see him again? I want to thank him for saving me."

She stared at me hard then smiled,

"You know I rather think you might but in the meantime go home and live your life, the life he saved for you. Don't waste it Bella that would devalue his sacrifice."

I nodded but I was praying I would see him again before too long for if vampires were truly immortal then a human lifetime would be nothing to them, I could be old or even dead by the time he was free to come back and see me.

I turned as a familiar voice called my name and smiled in relief when I recognised Darius although he looked as if he had been in a scuffle, then I realized he had been the one waiting for Caius in that office. I had no idea why or where Caius was now and as Darius hurried me over to the plane with only a momentary glance at Athena I knew I would have to wait for answers.

 **Jasper**

As soon as I got word from Darius that he had Bella safely aboard and was ready to take off I told Peter to go.

"You sure you wouldn't rather I stayed just in case you have trouble with your friends here?"

"No, get the hell out of Italy, Charlotte would never forgive me if anything happened to you, besides I want you to watch out for Bella until I'm sure everything is OK and I can keep my friends here docile until I get them to Volterra, it won't matter after that. Thanks, Peter."

He left reluctantly and I waited to hear that Darius had taken off before allowing my comrades to wake enough to obey orders. Santiago was the slowest to come around and I was worried for a while but then he opened his eyes looking around in confusion.

They followed my orders to get into the minibus I had rented for the trip to Volterra then I sent them back to sleep once more while I concentrated on driving back home or what passed for home these days and to my trial.

Jane and Felix were waiting for me as I pulled up in the enclosed courtyard behind the clock tower and when I released my prisoners from my control Felix and two guards he motioned to come forward accompanied me through the citadel and down to the old catacombs where we had several cells for Volturi prisoners although they were rarely used these days. Felix opened one heavy iron door without speaking and I stepped inside then the door closed on me. I had no idea how long it would be before I knew my fate but I doubted Aro would keep me waiting long, he needed to show everyone that treason would be punished swiftly, I just wondered what my punishment would be.

I walked over to the stone ledge that ran along one wall and sat down leaning back against the wall and closed my eyes conjuring up a vision of Bella and allowing myself to wonder what she would do now she was free and safe. I knew Peter and the others would watch over her somewhere until they were confident that she was truly safe. I hoped the fact she was my mate would make no difference to her personally. I knew to a vampire it was a one shot deal, you recognised your mate and they recognised you, the rest followed like day follows night but surely the same feelings, that urgent desire, that hunger I now felt, wouldn't affect Bella as a human. From my dealings with humans, I knew that they fell in and out of love with monotonous regularity so with luck Bella would fall for a human who would treat her like his princess and give her everything she needed to make her life happy and complete. Far better that than finding herself tied to a vampire with blood on his hands and a horrific past that would give her nightmares.

Time passed although I had no idea how much down here in the gloom and then I heard voices and the door was opened to reveal Aro and Carlisle. I stood up in acknowledgement at their presence then regained my seat as Aro gestured for me to do so.

"Major, it seems strange to meet you in such circumstances but as I am sure you understand I had to be seen to act appropriately. It seems you have an advocate here. Carlisle has explained to me all about William and what he did to the family although none of that justifies your recent actions. There is, however, one thing that would exonerate you, or at least give me some leeway in deciding on your punishment."

"Oh, and what would that be?"

"If you were to claim that the girl, Bella Swan, is your mate. It would make your actions understandable and I'm sure we could work with that to a mutually agreeable outcome."

I thought about this, Marcus could not say for sure that we were mates having never seen us together and I had never admitted so to anyone except Darius. Why then was Aro so keen for me to do so now? Much as I admired our leader in many ways I knew he could be devious if there was something he wanted and it appeared he wanted Bella. If I admitted our connection then I was pretty sure they would send for Bella to return to Volterra if they could find her, the alternative, allowing me to leave, was much less likely but why did he want Bella back here and if he did then why hadn't he merely refused our deal? He must have known I wouldn't have killed my comrades in cold blood even if he had refused. He could easily have threatened to kill or turn Bella in return so the only explanation was that he wanted her here of her own free will.

"Aro, perhaps I might be allowed to speak to Jasper for a moment in private."

Aro gestured for Carlisle to go ahead and left, the door closing behind him but not before I noticed Jane hovering outside. I might have caught her out once but I doubted I would be able to do so again even were I interested in trying and she would love me to try.

Carlisle sat down beside me and looked around,

"A gloomy place to spend time Jasper, let's see if we can't get you out of this mess."

"How? By lying to Aro and having Bella dragged back to Volterra? I'm only here because this is what it took to get her freed Carlisle."

"I don't think Aro intends using force to bring Bella back here. I think he's looking for a way out of the predicament you have placed him in. He can hardly just ignore your actions and forget all about them. He must be seen to dispense justice."

"Does it not concern you why he wants Bella back here?"

"Does he? I think it's more likely that he will exonerate your actions performed as a result of the mating pull and then free you."

"Really? You think he's just going to pat me on the back and send me off to the States to be with my mate?"

Carlisle shrugged,

"I really don't think he's being unreasonable Jasper, he could have you under Alec's influence or Jane's for that matter, he's not known for his leniency when it comes to betrayal."

"Exactly, he wants something Carlisle but I can't help him."

"So Bella isn't your mate?"

"Wouldn't I have been drawn to her in Forks if that had been the case?"

"Well, I would have thought so but perhaps Edward got in the way, or Alice. Perhaps you didn't have the time or opportunity to recognise her for what she is."

"Or maybe there was nothing to recognise Carlisle. Aro gave me his word of honour that Bella would be left alone so long as I returned for trial. Well here I am and she's free. You should go, Carlisle, don't get involved in any underhand dealings."

Carlisle sighed heavily,

"I offered to hand Aro my old friend William if he would allow you to go free and reinstate you as commander of the guard but he refused."

That made me stop and think, William was a powerful gift and if Aro refused a gift like that then he thought he had something equally or even more powerful to gain and the only thing he would gain was Bella if I did as he asked and recognised her as my mate. I moved closer and lowered my voice to a whisper,

"Was there anything strange about Bella, Carlisle?"

Carlisle looked startled by my question.

"Strange? I don't understand."

I explained my chain of thought and he pondered on it,

"I'm not sure I can remember Jasper, William did return my memories but they are still hazy. Just a minute, yes, Alice said she couldn't see things clearly while Bella was around and Edward was rather put out he couldn't read her mind, is that what you mean?"

I shook my head,

"I don't know but I can't do what he is asking, it would be wrong. Bella is safe and that's all that matters unless you think he'll break his word?"

"No, if Aro has given you his word then she is safe but you, on the other hand, are not."

"I'm not bothered about myself but please Carlisle, don't say anything about what we just discussed, it could be very dangerous all round."

When he left a few minutes later I was deep in thought and didn't even notice I was once more alone in my cell.


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter Thirty Four**

 **Bella**

Darius already had the engines running and was ready as soon as Peter appeared to take off ignoring warnings from air traffic control that there was a storm front coming in.

"Maybe we should hang on, don't forget Bella isn't as durable as us."

"The Major wanted her out of Italy as quickly as possible Peter, but I agree it's not ideal."

He turned to me,

"What do you say, Bella?"

I shook my head,

"I'll leave it up to you, you're the pilot."

Darius nodded,

"Then we go but I'll try to get above the storm as quickly as I can, in the meantime buckle up, it might get a little bumpy."

I went through into the small cabin and Peter checked my seat belt was tight noticing me wince as he leaned accidentally against my arm.

"You OK Bella?"

I rubbed it gingerly,

"Yeah, just a bruise. Caius grabbed me a little hard."

"Yeah, spiteful little fucker, still he's gotten what he deserves now I guess."

I glanced towards the cockpit,

"Did Darius kill him?"

"Eventually yeah but I'm guessing he made the lecherous fucker pay first."

"There's history between the two of them, or was, I guess?"

"Yeah but it's not my story to tell Bella if Darius wants you to know he'll tell you himself. I'd better sit down before this plane turns into a rocket."

He sat opposite me and winked encouragingly as the plane took off at such a steep angle I thought I'd left my stomach behind on the ground.

I could see thick dark clouds and flashes of lightning as the plane sped upwards and gripped the arms of my seat so tightly my knuckles ached and didn't relax until we leveled off a few minutes later. I opened my eyes, which I had squeezed shut as we rose almost vertically to see Peter grinning,

"Well, that was fun, shall I ask if we can do it again?"

"NO."

I spoke much too loudly in panic and he burst out laughing at my horrified expression.

"Sorry, but that was a little too exciting for me."

Once he was sure everything was OK Darius put the plane on auto pilot and joined us.

"Sorry about that folks but we should be OK now. You look a little pale Bella, can I get you a drink? There's some scotch in the galley."

"Please, it might settle my stomach."

He disappeared and when he came back he carried a bottle of scotch and a glass,

"I wasn't too sure how much to pour out so I thought I'd let you help yourself."

I took it from him with grateful thanks and poured myself a stiff drink coughing slightly with the first gulp.

"Hey, can I take the controls? I mean how hard can it be to fly a plane? There isn't any traffic and as long as I keep going straight I should hit land sooner or later right? All I have to do is hold onto that stick thing and pull it to go up and push to go down. There aren't any brakes are there? Never mind I'll find out later."

Peter was gone before Darius could speak and I watched alarmed as the cockpit door closed behind him.

"Is he safe to be flying? I mean don't you need lessons first?"

Darius shrugged,

"He'll shout if he sees anything headed our way and it'll keep him happy for a while."

I wasn't at all sure that was reason enough to leave a novice in charge of a jet but then Darius continued,

"I wanted to apologize for my abrupt actions back there at the hangar but I've been waiting a very long time to get my hands on Caius Volturi."

I nodded,

"Yes, Peter said you had a history but he didn't tell me anything."

I hadn't wanted Darius to think Peter had revealed his secret but he just shrugged,

"You saw what Caius was like I take it?"

I nodded rubbing my thigh absently,

"Yeah, a revolting creep."

"You got off lightly, others haven't been so lucky over the centuries. If Caius sees a woman he likes then he moves in on her and very few have ever eluded him or fought back. My mate was one."

"Your mate? Oh, right, that's like a wife?"

"Yes but more intense, a vampire only has one shot at happiness, one woman who completes his life and Sara was mine. She was beautiful, funny, witty, and very intelligent. We were together for more than a century before a friend invited us to visit Volterra. Sara wanted to go and despite my own reservations I agreed, anything to keep my sweetheart happy. We didn't know about Caius' reputation then but once he saw her he couldn't keep his eyes off her. I was invited to train with the guard and left Sara in our suite waiting for her friend. When I got back she was missing, she'd been gone when Heidi arrived and we searched all over for her. It wasn't until Aro called for me that I knew something terrible had happened and then I felt it, a terrible gaping wound in my soul and I knew she was gone. He told me that she was dead, she'd committed suicide after Caius had attacked her. She couldn't face me after what he did and she set herself alight in the audience chamber in front of him. I wanted to kill the bastard but the Volturi closed ranks, they were still new to power and finding their feet. The three brothers stuck together and I was forced to leave Volterra but I promised that one day I would get my revenge. Caius has been a prisoner in that citadel ever since because he knew I was out here waiting for him."

"Did Athena know? I mean she seemed to understand what he'd been trying with me. Why didn't she stop him?"

"Up until very recently the wives had very little power in the Volturi, it was run by and for the three brothers but Caius actions have become more obvious over the years, he daren't leave Volterra so he preyed on the female Volturi and I suspect even some of the townswomen. I guess it eventually got to the stage where Aro and Marcus couldn't countenance anymore. I was surprised to hear from Athena but I wasn't going to ignore a chance to get my hands on him."

"I'm so sorry Darius, it must have been terrible and you say there is no second chance at happiness? How do you cope?"

"The thought of getting revenge kept me going over the centuries Bella but it's been hard. I just couldn't bear the thought of ending my own life leaving Caius Volturi alive."

"And now?"

He shrugged,

"I'll just have to wait and see. For now, I have a job to do, keep you safe along with my idiot friend."

I took his hand in mine and held it,

"Thank you for helping me and for telling me your story. I wish I had met your Sara, she must have been very special."

"She was but then all mates feel that way about each other, we are two halves of a whole."

He studied me closely and I wondered what he was thinking but before I could ask the cockpit door flew open and Peter stood there wearing a parachute and looking terrified.

"All the lights are flashing red, should I radio a mayday?"

I screamed jumping up only to see Darius roll his eyes,

"Idiot, you scared Bella."

Realising Peter had been joking as he cackled with laughter I ran at him slapping his chest and arms in annoyance,

"You fool, I nearly had a heart attack."

"Wow girl, I wouldn't let anything happen to the Majors ma…."

Darius cut him off sharply mid word,

"Peter, the controls, now!."

Peter threw him an angry look but disappeared without saying anything else leaving me to wonder what it was that Darius was so keen to keep from me.

He excused himself to join Peter leaving me alone to my thoughts. I couldn't imagine losing your one and only love and realizing the rest of eternity would be spent alone. If it was true there were certainly downsides to being a vampire. It explained why Rosalie and Emmett had always been so close, Carlisle and Esme too but obviously, Alice and Jasper hadn't been mates or they wouldn't have broken up so there was still someone out there for him. I found myself wondering what she was like, a vampire obviously but did he feel that strange pull that Darius had mentioned or did that only start once you saw and recognized your mate? There were so many questions I had but it was difficult to imagine myself asking them of Darius and Peter was a no go. He was a nice guy but far too flippant to hold a serious conversation with. What was it he had started to say when Darius stopped him?

"Wow girl, I wouldn't let anything happen to the Majors ma…."

There was an almost physical jolt as I understood, Peter wasn't about to say The Major's mate was he? I mean how could that be possible? I was a human, not a vampire and we hardly knew each other but there had been something strange when we met again, I had found myself trusting him from the very beginning despite my reservations and he had sacrificed his own liberty and risked a long sentence or possibly even death to ensure my safety.

How did I feel about him? There was no bolt from the blue telling me he was the love of my life, I'd never even thought about him as a man, well not as a love interest but I had been running for life the entire time we were together and before that he had been with Alice and therefore out of bounds, I had also been interested in Edward at the time although putting the two side by side now I couldn't see what it was about Edward that had drawn me in. Jasper was better looking and far kinder, Edward always thought a lot of himself which was what my dad disliked so much about him.

My DAD! I hadn't thought about my parents since all this began but they must be worried about my continued absence and silence. Mom would probably put it down to my forgetting all about her or simply ignoring her but Charlie would be genuinely worried, I kept in touch with him regularly as a rule and it had been…I found I'd lost all track of time, I had no idea how long I had been out of circulation only that I must let my dad know I was OK.

When Darius came back in leaving Peter at the controls once more which concerned me although I decided he must know what he was doing I explained the situation and he promised to get me to a phone as soon as we landed although I wouldn't be able to tell my dad where I'd been or where I was.

"It's for your own safety Bella. Can you think of a cover story?"

I nodded,

"I'll just explain I was following a lead on a new story and lost track of time or that Sally's death really upset me and I went off by myself for a while but I promise I won't say anything dangerous. Is it safe to leave Peter flying the plane? I mean don't you need lessons and stuff?"

"I hate to spoil his fun but Peter is a fully qualified pilot, jet, prop, and helicopter. I taught him myself."

"He is?"

Peter popped his head around the door,

"Spoilsport, and why so amazed? Anyone would think you had no faith in me at all. Did Darius tell you the best bit though? I failed on water landings so pray we have enough fuel to make it over land."

With a maniacal chuckle he disappeared once more and shaking my head I went back to conjuring up a good excuse to tell my dad, he wasn't easily fooled but I refused to put him in peril and if he smelled a rat or had already come looking for me he could put himself in terrible danger.


	35. Chapter 35

****Chapter Thirty Five****

 **Bella**

When we landed Peter's wife or mate I wasn't sure how to refer to her met us and as we drove to the place they had chosen as a refuge for me Darius handed me a cell phone.

"My dad's a cop so he can probably trace the call if he gets suspicious."

"Then I guess you'd better tell him you are out on the bay in your friend's boat because that's where it will show you being if he does but it would be much better if he wasn't suspicious Bella so do your best."

"How did you do that? No, best not tell me, it'll just sound like gibberish, technology and I exist in a state of armed neutrality most of the time."

He laughed and when Peter pulled up so I could eat, I was famished although I couldn't stop thinking about Jasper and wondering where he was and what was happening to him, I took a few deep breaths to steady myself and called my dad's number.

He was furious as I expected and I had my ear chewed off about disappearing without a word especially when a friend had died.

"I was worried sick about you Bella when that detective rang and told me what had happened to your friend. I called you again and again."

"He called you?"

"Yeah, it's a courtesy when you get involved with a fellow law man's family. Are you OK?"

"Yes I'm fine now, I was just really upset, I didn't want to speak to anyone, I couldn't stop crying so I decided to head off for a few days."

"I rang your friends, I tried your publisher but the line was down and then I heard he had been killed in a fire. I was beginning to worry your disappearance was tied up with those photo's seeing as Sally and the publisher were both dead."

I tried to sound light hearted,

"Now you're beginning to sound like an author making up conspiracy theories."

He wasn't listening, dad was in cop mode and I had to be careful.

"Didn't you know a girl called Stella too? A linguist from the university?"

"Stella? I haven't spoken to her in ages, why?"

He went on to tell me of her death and that of her father and the more I discovered he knew the more worried I became that he was putting two and two together and might make four.

"Really dad, I was just upset, I guess I should have rung you but I needed a little while to come to terms with Sally's death. I didn't even know about the fire or Stella. It sounds like she and her dad were involved in something. I know they used to do work for the authorities, maybe that's what happened. "

He quietened down somewhat then but I could tell he was still annoyed with me for scaring him. Luckily he didn't seem to be linking the deaths any longer. As long as I was OK that was all that really mattered to him

"When are you going to visit?"

"Soon, I have to contact my publisher's lawyers, see what's happening about my book and my notes, he was storing it all."

"Oh, well I hope he made back ups or you'll have lost all that work."

"I know, we'll just have to see, mind I'm not sure I want to publish with all that's happened."

"Oh kiddo, you spent so much time and did so much traveling, too much to throw it all away. Don't you have any of your notes left?"

"Yeah, maybe, but right now I don't want to think about it, it just reminds me of Sally."

He understood and a few minutes later I could tell I had been forgiven for frightening him.

"You'd better call Renee too, she's been chewing my ear off as if it's my fault you haven't rung her but not till the weekend, she and Phil have gone to some music festival or other, I can't remember where mind, I'd already zoned out by the time she got to that. Just keep in touch Bells, I worry about you."

I promised I would and rang off eager to start my dinner which had been put before me some minutes earlier.

As I ate Peter's wife Charlotte came to sit with me nursing coffee I knew she would never drink, her red eyes hidden behind tinted glasses.

"Forgiven?"

I nodded,

"It was dicey for a little while but yes and I put his mind at rest. All I have to do is throw myself on my mom's mercy when she gets back from her latest trip and I'll be fine."

"You don't look fine, you look tired and anxious but I guess spending time in a building full of vampires could do that to a girl. You are safe now, you can relax although I admit relaxing around my husband isn't easy but he means well."

"I am tired, I could do with a good night's sleep but I'm worried about Jasper, what do you think will happen to him? I mean he will be OK won't he?"

She shrugged then smiled,

"He's the best commander the Volturi have ever had, including Felix and Santiago so I doubt anything dire will happen but they'll make his life pretty uncomfortable for a while. I wouldn't worry, The Major is tough and resilient."

I nodded knowing that was true but it didn't stop me worrying about him.

"Tell me about mates Charlotte, I mean, tell me what it really means to be a vampire's mate. Does it only happen to vampires? I mean did you meet Peter before you were a vampire or after? Darius told me a little but I never thought to ask if his Sara was a vampire when he met her."

She eyed me thoughtfully before answering,

"There's not much to tell really. I was a human when The Major caught me, he turned me and then I met Peter. He and Peter were friends or as close as it was possible to be with Maria watching everything closely, she was very jealous of The Major, he was her pride and joy, almost like a prized pet. Anyway, I'd seen Peter when I arrived and there was something about him, I just couldn't get him out of my mind and once I was a vampire like him it just clicked. "

"You mean you felt the pull?"

She smiled a little dreamily,

"It's more like a lightning strike, you just feel like you'll die if you are parted, that you need each other more than anything else in the world except blood of course. It's like a part of you is missing if your mate is absent and the longer you're parted the worse the feeling gets. You learn to deal with it when you've been together as long as Peter and I have but we have the Major to thank for our survival."

"How?"

"Maria saw that Peter and I were mates and she hated it, she didn't want any emotional ties between her soldiers so she put my name on The Major's to cull list. Every year she would cull the weakest and bring in fresh meat. The Major betrayed her for us, he allowed us to escape and years later we went back for him. Well, we went back more than once and eventually he came with us. I think he knew Maria distrusted him after he allowed us to escape, she'd promoted Nathan, an idiot who thought he was better than The Major, to her second, she knew he was no longer blindly loyal to her. So you see, having a mate is both the most wonderful and the most difficult of things. How Darius has survived all these centuries with the pain of losing his mate I have no idea, I think vengeance kept him going but now? Maybe it lessens with the passage of time but I know of vampire's who have killed themselves rather than live without their mate."

"So you didn't know what Peter meant to you as a human?"

"No, just that there was something about him, something I just couldn't get free of. You know what it's like when you think of something, like a tune maybe and it plays over and over in your head, you just can't forget it or get shot of it, that's the best way to describe how it was for me as a human but I wasn't human long and then I had to endure my newborn years when all you think about is blood and fighting, you are filled with rage, so much of it that I even attacked Peter, if you ask him he'll show you the scars, he's quite proud of them actually."

I thought about what she had said while I ate and I knew she was studying me, did she suspect what Peter had said, how he thought I was Jasper's mate? Could it even be possible? Or had he been teasing or winding me up? I didn't know him well enough to decide but I thought Darius did or he wouldn't have stopped Peter from finishing that sentence. It was something I would have to think about which wasn't difficult, I kept coming back to Jasper in my mind….just like the song you couldn't shake.

Charlotte had to nudge me to finish eating and then we continued on our way to the place Darius had arranged as a hideaway for me although I think they all expected that the Volturi would keep their promise to leave me be.

"I've been monitoring the Volturi and there's been nothing about you or any search for you over here."

"Have you heard anything about Jasper? What's happening to him? I mean has there been a trial yet?"

He shook his head,

"Not a word no, but if I hear anything I'll be sure to let you know. Right here we are."

We had pulled up outside an old run down apartment building in a poor neighborhood of some nameless city. The windows were so darkly tinted it was impossible to see out well enough to read any signs and when I asked where we were Darius told me it was safer if I didn't know and I was prepared to let that go, these people had kept me safe so far and I trusted them to continue to do so.

The inside of the apartment belied the outside with its peeling paint and rubbish strewn hallways.

"This is a good place to lie low Bella, everyone who lives here is naturally cautious and regard the authorities as the enemy so if anyone comes snooping we'll know very quickly, it's just an extra layer of security."

I nodded at Darius explanation and went to look through the grimy window but the view was depressing, a courtyard stuffed with overflowing waste bins, what a contrast to the beautiful courtyard in Volterra with its tinkling fountain and soft scented evening air. Thinking of that made me long to be back there, to see Jasper again although I doubted he was sitting in such a beautiful place as the courtyard. Did they have a jail in the citadel or was he being held by Alec? The thought of that made me shudder. It wasn't fair if anyone should be suffering it was me, I was the one who started all this not him.

"A penny for them Bella?"

It was Charlotte who had joined me at the window,

"They aren't worth that much Charlotte. I was just wondering if they have a jail in Volterra or where Jasper might be right now."

She looked troubled but managed a tense smile,

"I couldn't tell you, Bella, I don't know much about the Volturi and Peter is extremely biased against them. You'll have to ask Darius, he's the expert on the Volturi. He's should be back shortly, he just went to get some supplies and Peter is patrolling the area although none of us think that Aro will renege on his word, it just pays to take precautions and keep on our guard."

I waited impatiently for Darius to return and while I ate the Mexican meal he had picked up for me I questioned him about the Volturi.

"Charlotte told me I should ask you if I want to know anything about the Volturi."

He nodded,

"Yeah, I made it my business to find out as much as I could after I lost Sara. What did you want to know?"

"Where will Jasper be held until his trial? Do they have a prison or something?"

He laughed,

"Yes they do although it's never used, it's very difficult to imprison a vampire, we're very strong, very fast, and almost indestructible and The Major is faster and stronger than most. We could break through any walls or door, wood, iron, or stone, so you see a cell wouldn't be much use unless the vampire was weakened in some way."

"Weakened? How?"

"Thirsty, like a human without food, a vampire without blood would eventually weaken, or injured."

"But if vampires are pretty much indestructible…."

"We are but if attacked by another vampire we bleed venom like humans lose blood and that weakens us."

I was horrified,

"Would the Volturi do that to Jasper?"

"I doubt it, they'd have trouble beating him in a fight unless they used a gift like Jane or Alec and even then he had a gift of his own which makes it less likely. No, it would be my guess if he's found guilty at trial the Volturi will use Chelsea to force loyalty to the Volturi on him but even that would be unnecessary, The Major is loyal, he just had…..his own reasons for acting as he did."

I let that go, I wasn't ready to go down that road just yet.

"So what do you think they will do?"

"To be honest I have no idea but whatever it is they will want it to be noticed, he'll be an object lesson in what happens if you betray the Volturi but he'll live."

I wanted him to do more than just live but I wasn't sure what if anything I could do to help him.

"I promise as soon as I learn anything I'll tell you but for now just try to relax, take it easy and think about what you're going to do once you're free to live your life again."

I hadn't really given it any thought but now I knew about the existence of vampires and spirit warriors I wasn't sure I could go back to my old life, I wasn't even sure I wanted to.

 **I will be away for the next three weeks so postings won't be as regular but I will put a chapter up whenever I can. Love Jules xx**


	36. Chapter 36

****Chapter Thirty Six****

 **Jasper**

I hadn't realized how much being separated from Bella would affect me now I had discovered she was my mate, sure I'd heard all the talk about the mating pull and how hard it was to be away from your mate but I guess I'd always thought it was overstated, after all, couples did cope with being apart, Carlisle and Esme were apart from time to time, so were Eleazar and Carmen, even Emmett and Rosalie had been apart for days at a time when we guys went on one of our hiking trips alone although he had been over the moon to see her again when we returned. Maybe it got easier with time or maybe it was easier to bear once you and your mate were joined together but I was finding every hour away from Bella more difficult than the last. There was no pain as such but my nerves were stretched taut and my skin felt as if it were alive with static electricity tingling and driving me crazy. Every noise outside was magnified until I wanted to scream for silence but instead, I sat quiet and conjured her up in my mind pretending that I was with her and not shut up in this miserable dark place waiting for Aro to decide on his next step.

I knew Bella was special and not only because of what she meant to me, she was gifted and her gift was extremely powerful, so powerful that although Aro desperately wanted her for the Volturi he had deemed it necessary to allow her to leave hoping to lure her back of her own accord by holding me although he wasn't sure she was my mate, he only suspected it from my actions. So long as she was human he could never be entirely sure and my friends would ensure she remained human and safe.

What Aro would do if I continued refusing to admit to it I could only imagine but he hated to be thwarted, what he wanted Aro inevitably got. My only hope was Marcus, we had been friends although he might have decided to wash his hands of me because I had betrayed him too.

I found myself tearing at the exposed flesh of my arms although my nails made little difference to my crystal hard flesh, it just made me feel better as did pacing my room. The feeling reminded me of the build up to an attack when I had been with Maria, there was tension in the air, an atmosphere of expectancy when you just wanted to get going but here there was to be no such outlet just the feeling and the four blank walls.

It was a relief when the door finally opened again although I was surprised to see Santiago and Afton standing in the light from the corridor. Neither spoke, they just stepped inside and the door closed once more and I knew there would be trouble.

"It's good to have company."

Santiago scowled,

"I thought you were my friend, Major, that we were comrades in arms."

"We are, if not I would have killed you."

"I spent two days recovering from your tampering with my mind."

"I know and I'm sorry but I wanted to make sure you stayed under and I brought both of you back unharmed."

"So what's the deal Major? How come Aro hasn't put you on trial as a traitor?"

I turned to Afton,

"Probably because I'm not, I didn't betray anything or anyone, I just saved a friend."

"A human and why Aro allowed her to go free is something everyone is trying to work out."

He stared at me but I just shrugged,

"If you want the answer to that question I suggest you ask him yourself but she's no threat to us."

"You know if anyone had told me you would turn on your own friends I would have laughed at them, I never took you for a turncoat. It leaves a nasty taste in the mouth."

I didn't reply, there was nothing I could say if I explained then Aro would have all he needed to bring Bella back which would result in danger to my friends who would fight for her to the last.

They didn't wait for an answer, in any case, they just attacked and although I could have taken both of them probably my attempt was very half hearted, they were right, in their eyes, I had betrayed them and deserved to be punished. I was weaker than I had realized, obviously being in here without any food was taking its toll on me, the only good thing was that my last meal has been human blood which lasted longer in the system.

When they left a few minutes later I was weaker still with broken limbs which would heal slowly and painfully but it could have been much worse and Afton was supported by Santiago as his almost severed leg dragged along the ground. Of course, the exertion made me thirstier than I had already been and I wondered if Aro was going to starve me into submission. Or was he just weakening me until Alec or Jane could use their influence on me or even Chelsea? I was surprised that Jane hadn't accompanied Santiago and Afton, she was usually keen on any kind of physical altercation especially if it ended up with an enemy writhing on the ground. Maybe she had her orders to stay away, I had no idea and I was too weary to care. Instead, I lowered myself gently onto the ledge and lay down closing my eyes and waiting as patiently as I could for my injuries to heal. The pain had taken my mind off my maddening symptoms of being away from my mate but these soon came crashing down on me too and I groaned as I tried to shut them out even if only a little.

 **Carlisle**

Perhaps Jasper was right, that Bella was gifted and Aro wanted her more than William but there had to be a way to pay my one time friend for his treachery, I still found it almost impossible to believe the damage he had wrought from my plea for help. Esme had been horrified by the truth, angry that I had acted without consulting her but so far she had backed me, even to the extent of coming to Volterra when I asked her.

She had found Sulpicia and Athenadora stimulating company and I began to worry when she spoke of the idea of moving permanently to Volterra.

"Esme, I didn't come here to stay, I'm just trying to help Jasper, then we can leave, go home and start again."

"Start what exactly Carlisle? What home? All the houses we own are just that now, houses. A house only becomes a home when it is filled with a family and we no longer have one. I've stood by you even though your actions lost me a family I loved and I miss terribly so now I'm thinking of me. I like having other women to talk to, Sulpicia and Athenadora treat me as if I were a sister and that means a lot to me, especially now. What's so wrong in wanting to belong? The Volturi aren't bad, you said so yourself, they are misunderstood sometimes but they do keep our kind safe. I think I could be happy here, Sulpicia even suggested I might help out in the artifact stores. Did you know they have rooms and rooms full of antique furniture, paintings, statues, and all kinds of things? Some of which are centuries old? There are even textiles and clothing and I could be a part of turning these things into a museum for the human world, I could even redecorate parts of the citadel."

"It sounds like they've worked out how to tempt you, my dear."

My tone was bitter, I didn't want to stay here, Aro knew that but I wouldn't mind betting that he was the driving force behind Sulpicia's offer.

"It's not all beauty and sweetness, you forget I lived here for decades, I know."

"You mean their dining habits? They would never force us to change our diet, they may not understand it but they accept our choice."

So, she really had been thinking deeply about this.

"The Volturi are a police force, terrible decisions are sometimes made here, people die Esme."

Her eyes narrowed,

"Make up your mind Carlisle, are they good or evil? What do you have against living in Italy? Sulpicia said that Aro would even be happy if you wanted to open a clinic here in town to help the poorer members of society, they only have one doctor here, if they need urgent medical help they must travel all the way to Pisa, think of the difference you could make to the lives of Volterra's citizens."

They had spun such a pretty web to catch Esme that I could see it would be difficult for me to destroy but I didn't feel happy at the notion of staying here, nor permanently.

"If you must go off and find a way to pay William back then go ahead but I won't be trailing along behind you, I can see a good life for me here, a way forward now the family are gone."

I decided to argue with her was pointless so I excused myself and went to find Aro who was with his wife in her suite, a picture of domestic bliss set out before me.

"Why are you encouraging Esme to stay Aro? You know I do not want to live here permanently."

He looked at his wife as if my accusation were something new to them both,

"My dear Carlisle you have us all wrong. Esme seemed terribly depressed after losing all those she cared for and Sulpicia was trying to cheer her up, give her life a purpose once more. Besides, she, Sulpicia and Athenadora get along so well, it is a novelty to have someone new in the Citadel especially someone with vision and energy. Of course, the choice is Esme's own, your wife has a mind of her own Carlisle, I think sometimes you forget that she needs room and the incentive to grow."

I shook my head even though I knew Aro was right, I just couldn't imagine staying here in Volterra and realized I had been a fool to come here even to help Jasper. Thinking about it this might be William's final throw of the dice, force me to stay here, somewhere he knew I would be unhappy just to keep my mate contented and there was me thinking I could put one over on him by offering his whereabouts to the Volturi? Had I tracked him down through my own skill or has he made it easy for me so he could draw me in like a fly to a web? It was a sobering thought but one I could not shake as I walked slowly back to our suite trying to decide what to do.

In the event, the decision was made for me when I discovered that Esme was arranging to have her personal possessions shipped over.

"I can't go back Carlisle and I have a chance to feel useful here. If, when Rose and Emmett get back, they want me to go home then I'll consider returning. I hope you'll stay Carlisle but you must do what you decide is best for you just as I am."

I was defeated and she could tell by my stance and stood up to pull me close,

"I know we can make this work Carlisle if you'll just give it a chance, thank you, my love."

I just wished I had her confidence but what worried me more was that she knew Jasper was here, incarcerated by the Volturi yet she had not visited him, not even asked after him. Had she washed her hands of the only remaining member of the family still within reach or was this more of William's devious work?


	37. Chapter 37

****Chapter Thirty Seven****

 **Bella**

I couldn't settle, I wandered from room to room unable to concentrate on anything although the others went off to get me books, a TV, and even a computer to help. Thoughts of Jasper and what was happening to him in Volterra filled my mind day and night and the not knowing was driving me crazy. I knew Charlotte watched me but she said nothing while Peter tried his best to amuse me, neither made any difference and when Darius told me he had finally got word from Volterra I could have kissed him. I did actually grab him but stopped myself just in time.

"What did you hear? Is he OK? What are they going to do?"

"I didn't say I'd heard much Bella but he is alive and well as far as I know. He's a prisoner and I rather fancy he had a run in with some of those he captured to free you."

"A run in? What does that mean exactly?"

"I think his comrades objected to being subdued and handed back to Aro like parcels and decided to show their displeasure in the only way warriors understand."

"You mean he was beaten up? Are you sure he's OK?"  
"I'm sure, for one thing, if he was actually in any danger he would have taken them apart and for the second, Aro has a plan and it involves keeping The Major alive."

"So, what's his plan?"

"Haven't got that part yet but it might have something to do with the fact that Carlisle and Esme Cullen are also in Volterra."

I wasn't sure if this was a good thing but surely they would try to help Jasper, he had been a part of their family after all.

"You need to settle down Bella. I assure you if the Volturi wanted The Major dead we wouldn't be talking about his health right now. There's nothing about you on the air so I think you're safe to go home now, the sooner you get back to normality the better."

I hadn't expected to hear that so soon and I really wasn't ready to lose my only connection with the Volturi and Jasper but what could I say? These people had put their own lives at risk to help their friend save my life and now I had it I should be thankful and do something constructive with it.

The next morning Charlotte and Peter said their farewells and left me alone with Darius.

"Make us proud Bella, do something with your life now you have it back and maybe someday you'll hear from The Major again."

I shook hands with Peter and hugged Charlotte before they went, glad that I still had Darius for now at least.

"Are you leaving me too?"

He shook his head,

"Not just yet but it doesn't take three of us to keep an eye on you and they have other things like a ranch to run while I'm at a loose end."

The relief I felt must have shown on my face because he smiled,

"You know something Bella, you're the first human who has ever looked relieved to hear something like that. I'll stay in the background but I want to keep monitoring the Volturi for a little longer but in return, you have to promise me you'll start living again."

I nodded, anything so long as I still had this connection,

"Sure, I'll fly back tomorrow, will you stay here or are you coming to LA?"

He made a face,

"LA presents problems for someone like me but I want to be close so I guess I'll be going with you."

"Why problems? You were there before."

"Yep but you saw us mostly at night and the day we had to act out in the open it got cloudy."

"So sunlight is dangerous to vampires?"

I remembered back to Volterra, I had been outside with Athena but it had been in the evening and when I thought back to Forks that was easy, the sun never shone there, or maybe one or two days a year at most.

"Dangerous? I guess so, it means we can be spotted by the humans."

"How? Oh, is it your shadows or lack of them I mean?"

I felt a fool as he burst out laughing,

"You're confusing us with Dracula, Bella. Come here."

He walked to the window and opened it then as I joined him he pulled up his sleeve and stuck his bared arm out until it caught the sunlight. I gasped then without thinking ran my fingers up and down the glittering flesh.

"It's beautiful, like a rainbow."

He grunted and as he pulled his arm back in the rainbow shards of light disappeared once more.

"Now you see why we can't afford to be seen by the humans in sunlight."

"That's why your car had tinted windows, the Volturi too and maybe it's why the Cullens chose to live in Forks, the wettest place on earth, well in the USA anyhow."

I suddenly realized I was standing uncomfortably close to Darius and stepped back,

"I'm sorry, I guess I got carried away, do I make you uncomfortable? I mean...well, I know you live on….I mean…."

He nodded,

"Yes, I hunt humans to live just as you rely on hunted animals, well mostly farmed these days I guess but you get my point?"

Now I was embarrassed,

"No, I didn't mean to sound judgemental, I was just worried I might make you uncomfortable being so close to the scent of a human."

"Then I apologize and no, I'm far too old to be sent crazy by the scent of human blood, Bella. Like most of us who have been vampires for centuries, I learned to control my thirst so I can live among humans when necessary but before we leave I will hunt then you can be sure I'm not going to eat the cabin crew."

It was my turn to laugh and the tension melted from the room, I liked Darius and under any other circumstances I would probably have fancied him like crazy, he was handsome, intelligent, and witty, but I only had room for one man in my life and he was thousands of miles away right now. That thought stopped me cold, it was true though, feelings for Jasper had crept up on me while I wasn't looking and they were powerful, Peter was right and if so then how was Jasper coping so far from me? Was he suffering as only a vampire separated from his mate could? I hated that thought and wanted to fly straight back to Italy to be with him but I couldn't. He had his reasons for sacrificing his freedom for mine and I would just have to trust him but it wasn't going to be easy.

We flew back to LA the following day and after checking I was safe back in my apartment Darius left but he wrote his cell phone number on the chalkboard in my kitchen and programmed it into my cell phone.

"If I hear anything I'll call and if you get worried about anything you contact me, Bella."

I nodded unwilling to see him go even though I knew he must but when I shut the door on him I felt so alone it was painful. My life had changed so completely in a matter of days. I had been a carefree writer enjoying life and spending my time with my best friend Sally wandering Europe and naively debunking mythical creatures then suddenly she was dead and I was only alive because one of those mythical creatures had risked everything for me.

I sat at the table and stared at the few papers that Sally and I had worked on which still existed, notes on vampires in eastern Europe. Seeing her familiar handwriting hit me hard and I began to cry unable to stop myself. Only with great difficulty did I pull myself together and sort through the mail that had accumulated while I had been away. It was all so mundane but I put those aside that needed a reply and binned the rest then checked the refrigerator and threw away the perishables making a shopping list as I did so. Was I really just going to carry on like this? Paying bills and buying groceries while Jasper languished in Volterra waiting to hear his fate?

Forcing myself to boot up my computer I checked my emails noticing there were several from my publisher, he had a problem with my manuscript. When he tried to open the file he found it was empty, the Volturi had been thorough, whatever else happened my book would never be published. The last had been sent the very day he died in the fire and now the only proof of all the hard work Sally and I had put into the venture was the short magazine article that had been published and the few notes I had hidden away in my bedroom. I had checked and they were still there even if I couldn't use them, to do so would mean death for too many people I loved.

There were also several emails from my mother, each a little sharper than the last, she may be at a festival but that didn't stop her complaining that I was ignoring her feelings with my continued silence. Figuring the sooner I got the evil deed over with the better I rang hoping she had been held up at the festival but I no such luck.

"Well, you are still alive then? I was beginning to think you must have been abducted by aliens or had you just forgotten you had a mother?"

I apologized with as much humility as I could conjure up but of course, it wasn't enough.

"It's not good enough Bella, I've been worried sick about you, where on earth have you been?"

"I was upset when Sally died, I just went off for a few days.

"For heaven's sake Bella, she was just a work colleague, you really shouldn't get so attached to people. What happened to her anyway?"

Renee obviously hadn't heard of Sally's death,

"She committed suicide."

"Probably frightened herself to death after all those silly tales about vampires, I knew nothing good would come of dabbling in such topics."

I cut her short before I said something I would later regret, using the excuse that I had to go to the bank.

"I would have thought you'd have more than a couple of minutes for me, you young people are so selfish."

Before I could defend myself she put the phone down and I groaned fully aware the phone lines between Forks and Jacksonville would be red hot as my mother rang my dad blaming him for my lack of consideration but then he was used to her rants by now, he had a thick skin when it came to Renee.

The call had put me in a bad mood and paying my utility bills and rent didn't help, especially as I had no income with the book manuscript having gone missing. Knowing my bank balance must be pretty low I decided to check and was amazed to see the result, something was very wrong and with a sigh, I made my way to the bank to get it resolved but as I was about to step inside my phone buzzed and the message puzzled me,

"Bank balance correct, don't question it. D."

D? That must be Darius which meant he was watching me, I turned around but I couldn't spot him anywhere then another message came through,

"It's amazing what CCTV can do! D"

He must be linked to the city's CCTV and was watching me that way, very smart!

When I got back to my apartment I found him waiting in the hall although the concierge hadn't mentioned any visitors and they always made any wait downstairs so Darius must have sneaked in. He smiled when he saw me and took the grocery bags so I could unlock my door.

"Are you going to be spying on me full time?"

"Nope, just until I'm sure everything is as it should be. It would have been a mistake to query the bank."

"So, you are responsible for my sudden wealth?"

"Not me, I just move money around for other people."

"Then whose money is it?"

"Yours."

I sighed,

"Darius."

He smiled,

"OK, it was The Major, he asked me to transfer funds into your bank. I think he knew you would be a little short with all this trouble, he was just trying to help."

"Well, you can just transfer it back, I'm not a charity case."

"No can do, The Major is my client, not you. If you have a problem with your bank balance I suggest you take it up with him…...oh right, you can't, well then I guess you just have to grin and bear it."

I sighed heavily glaring at him but it was water off a duck's back.

"Any news?"

He hesitated,

"Yeah, his trial is set for the weekend."

My stomach turned backflips worrying about the outcome but there was no point questioning Darius further if he'd known anymore he would have told me, so instead we talked about what I should do next.


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter Thirty Eight**

 **Carlisle**

So, Aro had his way, Esme and I were staying here, and I wondered if he might be willing to trade William for Jasper. He agreed to see me and I went along to his study hoping for the best but when I saw we were to be joined by Sulpicia, Athenadora, and Marcus, I understood there was much more at stake.

"You wished to speak with me Carlisle, please excuse the company but we were in the middle of a council meeting and as it sounded urgent I thought you wouldn't mind."

Refusing to allow myself to become flustered I merely nodded my acquiescence.

"Of course not, I wanted to speak to you about Jasper's upcoming trial."

"Oh, very well, do you have some information for us or were you hoping to save your ex-family member from this trial?"

"As Esme and I are staying in Volterra I wondered if you might be willing to reconsider my offer."

"Ah, let me explain to my colleagues here just what that offer was. Carlisle was wondering if we might consider allowing The Major to leave the Volturi in exchange for a gift, his friend William."

A ripple of interest went around the others and then Sulpicia leaned forward,

"I take it you have some particular reason to offer a friend to us, Carlisle? As I remember, you and William were great friends and you refused to help us acquire his gift in the past."

I had no choice but to explain the whole story and I saw Athenadora and Sulpicia exchange a look of distaste before Aro's wife spoke again.

"I expected better of you Carlisle, you have always held up your morals as a shining example of what we should all be yet you not only asked a friend to secretly meddle with the memories of those you profess to love but now you are quite willing to hand that friend over to his mortal enemies."

"Put like that it does seem less than honorable but in my defense, I am trying to save one of those I loved as family."

She shook her head and Athenadora nodded her agreement with her friend but Marcus looked more interested,

"You can give us William?"

"Yes, I think I can, but in return, I want Jasper released and his actions over the past few months to be forgotten."

"I see."

He turned to Aro,

"What are your thoughts on the matter, brother?"

Aro sat back and sighed heavily,

"Much as I would like to be able to accept Carlisle's offer there is a problem, justice must be seen to be done. We couldn't possibly just release The Major, it would upset his former comrades and send out the wrong signals to those who fight against our laws."

Marcus nodded gravely,

"Yes, I can see your problem, but perhaps I can offer an alternative which might be acceptable to both sides. If we were to make an undertaking that The Major would come to no harm in exchange for certain conditions then maybe we can come to some accommodation, what do you think Carlisle?"

I wanted William to suffer so much I think it blinded me somewhat,

"It would depend on the conditions but I'm interested in hearing more."

Marcus smiled and on his usually somber face, it seemed almost alien.

"I would, of course, have to get the agreement of my council colleagues but I was thinking of something like this, if you could persuade The Major's mate to return to Volterra and give the undertaking to remain here with your beautiful and talented wife for an extended period…...would something like that be acceptable? I mean, you have nothing to return to the United States, for now, William has destroyed your family."

"I'm not sure I can persuade Bella to return, she knows Jasper wanted her to stay away."

"Of course, but you see this puts us in a very difficult position, by keeping The Major here we are theoretically separating mates albeit unacknowledged ones, which is against our own laws yet to allow him to go free would also be breaking our laws. Our hands are tied where yours are not. You understand the girl would be perfectly safe here and there would be no pressure on her to become a vampire herself until she decided it was time. In exchange for her presence here I'm sure we would be only too happy to collect William and as he has acted illegally by breaking up mated couples or should I say agreeing to do so we would have every right to punish him, you could even be involved in the choice of an appropriate punishment."

It was a better deal than I expected, to see William punished for the terrible things he had done to my family was very tempting and Bella would be given time to decide to become a vampire. With his mate here I doubted the Volturi would push The Major's trial very hard.

"I could try for such a deal."

"Good, then if you would excuse us to discuss the matter, we will let you know as soon as we have come to a decision."

I left them and went to find Esme who, as always these days, was in the archives sorting through the crates of artifacts and paintings. When I explained the deal Marcus was proposing she nodded absently,

"It sounds very good to me, William should be punished for what he did to my family but when it comes time to decide exactly how he will be punished I want a say too. Are you going to speak to Jasper about this?"

I was rather surprised by her question, she hadn't mentioned Jasper until now,

"He would only try to dissuade me, he doesn't want Bella back here. He thinks she might have a gift Aro wants to collect."

She looked up more interested by these words,

"Then why don't the Volturi merely grab her? Or why let her go I the first place? It doesn't make sense."

"Perhaps they couldn't force her."

"You think she might be that powerful?"

"Aro does and I think it's in the back of Jasper's mind."

"If you can persuade her to return you should ask Aro for more, a seat on the council perhaps."

"I can't see him agreeing to that my dear, besides its blackmail."

She snorted,

"It's a little late to remember your scruples now Carlisle, you just want to see William suffer as we have. Treachery and betrayal are vampire traits you have tried to avoid for centuries but when it comes down to it you are just as unscrupulous as the next. Ring Bella, get her back here, lie if you must but get her back."

I shook my head, I was less happy with the deal after hearing Esme's take on the situation, could I really hand over a friend and an innocent human for my own ends?

She sighed impatiently,

"Never mind Carlisle, if you don't have the stomach for it leave it to me. I'll get her back here. You nurse your scruples, much good they've done you."

She went back to her work and ignored me until I finally left her and went down to speak to Jasper. I wasn't going to tell him what deal was on the table, I just wanted to put my mind at rest that he was OK.

Jane nodded as I approached his room and the guard swung open his door to allow me inside shutting it again as soon as I was over the threshold. He looked weary and very thirsty, dark circles ringed his eyes and his head dropped but he pulled himself upright when he saw me.

"I didn't expect to see you again Carlisle. Come to browbeat me for Aro?"

"No, I came to see how you were doing. Have you been treated well?"

He nodded,

"I'm still here so I guess the answer to that is yes although Jane has displayed her displeasure a few times. Other than that and keeping me thirsty I'm fine and before you ask me, no, Bella is not my mate."

"You're lying Jasper but that's your prerogative I suppose. The longer you two are parted the harder it will get."

He ignored me staring down at the floor and refused to lift his head or speak to me again as I tried to explain that Bella would be perfectly safe in Volterra and that he should consider Aro's offer rather than go to trial, after all, no one knew what the result of that might be.

Finally, as I finished speaking he lifted his head and fixed me with accusation in his eyes,

"What is Aro offering you to keep the pressure up Carlisle? Did you tell him I worked out why he wants Bella? Did you offer to help if he took William so you could get even? Maybe even offered to put pressure on William to undo what he did?"

I felt ashamed of Jaspers accusation's because they were so close to the mark but I tried to defend myself.

"I never told Aro what you suspected and I doubt if there is anything William could do to mend the breaches in my family Jasper but yes I said I would speak to you in return for Aro agreeing to bring William to Volterra, he deserves that for what he's done."

"You know I never thought I'd hear you talk like this, you were always above such things, so what happened?"

"I discovered I was no better than anyone else when the chips were down, I'm as capable of hatred and spite as the worst of our kind. I discovered I would do just about anything to get revenge, including putting pressure on you although I did get an assurance from the council that Bella would not be harmed or forced to become a vampire until she is ready and let's be honest, once she realizes what you are to her she'll become a vampire anyway."

He looked at me with such detestation that I had to look away then turned his back on me and stayed like that ignoring me until I left.

Sulpicia was waiting with Esme in our suite when I returned eager for news and disappointed when I said I had none.

"Carlisle, you do realize that if you do not persuade Bella to return then your own place here will become less comfortable. I suggest you think of another way to lure her back if The Major is unwilling to cooperate."

Once she had left Esme glared at me,

"How hard did you try Carlisle? You've always been too soft, I want revenge and I intend getting it with or without your help."

"Please Esme, I tried but I can't force Jasper to cooperate, he wants to keep Bella safe and as long as he refuses to name her as his mate there is nothing the Volturi can do, it would be breaking Aro's word and however underhand he can be he would never break his word, Jasper knows that."

"Then cut him out of the loop and tell Bella yourself. If she knows Jasper needs her, that he is being ill-treated and is likely to receive a death penalty she'll come back."

I stared at Esme dumbfounded,

"She has no idea what being mated to a vampire means and he's not being ill-treated, neither will he be sentenced to death, Aro already said as much. He can't condemn a man for protecting his mate."

"But she's not his mate as far as he is willing to admit so there is nothing in law to save him. You and I must think of our own safety, our lives here, if the only way to lure Bella back is with lies then lie, and if you won't then I will. One of us has to show a little backbone here."

I hardly recognized my wife these days, William may have left her memories alone with regard to me but things had still changed. She was no longer the sweet innocent young woman that I had fallen in love with, this Esme was hard and ruthless and I didn't doubt for one second she meant what she said but I couldn't bring myself to take that final step and lie to Bella, not even to get revenge on William and I doubted if it came down to it that Esme could either, words were cheap but actions such as she described could be costly indeed.


	39. Chapter 39

****Chapter Thirty Nine****

 **Bella**

I hadn't the heart to go looking for my next assignment and neither could I carry on with the one Sally and I had decided upon, in fact, the very thought of researching the supernatural any longer filled me with dread even though it was all I had done for the past few years. Darius tried to give me a push telling me he would be leaving soon but wanted to know I had a purpose before he left. All I wanted was news of Jasper and once Darius was gone I would have no way of getting news. I ate and stared at my notes, a list of ideas I had come up with over the years and then went to bed but I couldn't sleep. Even though I was bone weary when I closed my eyes I kept seeing Jasper alone locked up in a cell in the darkness with no food and all alone. It was crazy because I doubted the things that made for a human prison would work on vampires. He didn't need the light or a bed, not even warmth but he did need to eat or drink, and I visualized Aro sitting in his study smirking at the thought of his prisoner steadily weakening from thirst. Could lack of fresh blood kill a vampire? I guessed not but surely it would do something, he must suffer if denied blood.

Of course, thirst was not the main thing I pondered on, I remembered what Darius and Charlotte had told me about mates and how hard it was to be separated from your mate. If Peter was right and I was almost sure he was then Jasper must be suffering being separated from me. Was he in pain or was his agony like mine, a strange feeling that sent me crazy, tense and with the weird feeling that something was skittering across my flesh making me want to scream out loud. Was it worse for a vampire? Was he suffering and should I ignore his words and go back? Yet to do so would be a betrayal of his sacrifice, something I couldn't do, but neither could I go on with my life, not as it was.

I decided to visit my dad, a few days in Forks might give me a chance to clear my head and decide what to do with myself. All I knew was writing, research and writing, so I would have to find a new direction. Maybe I could get a job on a paper or magazine writing the kind of mind-numbing articles that were safe, topics I loathed but that would end up without someone's death.

I told Darius where I was going and he thought it was a great idea but he promised not to leave until I returned.

"I won't go with you, the Quileutes and I don't see eye to eye but you'll be safe enough with a guardian tribe so close. Just remember, not a word to anyone and that includes any friends you might have in the tribe."

"I know, I couldn't bear to be responsible for any more deaths but you promise you'll let me know the outcome of Jasper's trial?"

Darius had told me the trial had been put back a week for some reason so going to Forks wouldn't mean missing anything.

It was a good idea I had decided to make it a surprise visit to my dad because I hadn't even reached the airport before I received a call from Esme Cullen. I hadn't recognized her voice but as soon as she introduced herself I remembered her, the sweet loving mother of the family, a woman I would never have guessed was a vampire.

"Bella, I don't know if you remember me…."

"Yes, I remember you, Esme, what can I do for you only I'm due to fly in about an hour and a half."

"Fly? Oh, where to?"

She sounded strangely eager but that soon changed when I informed her I was headed to Forks to see my dad.

"Oh, do you think that's a good idea, bearing in mind all you know?"

I played it cagey, had she been asked to call and test me out?"

"I'm not sure what you mean Esme, I visit my dad a few times every year and as I'm at a loose end…."

"Are you really? Oh, Bella, I would have thought you had other more important things on your mind than visiting family."

I felt like saying that there was nothing more important than family but held myself back, after all, according to all I'd learned she had lost her family and maybe that would hurt besides there was something more important…...Jasper. Instead, I decided to take the initiative,

"Did you have some reason for calling me, Esme?"

"Actually yes, I did. I'm calling about Jasper, you are aware he is still imprisoned here in Volterra?"

So Darius had been right, she and Carlisle were in Volterra, had they moved there permanently or was this just a visit? And what exactly had Carlisle told her about Jasper and me?

"Yes, I was aware actually."

I sounded cold but I was getting annoyed with the tone of this conversation.

"Then you'll understand how much he is suffering as a result of being here all alone. I would have thought a sweet young girl like you would have more sensitivity."

"I'm sorry?"

"Well, you must know by now that you are his mate and surely someone among his friends has explained what that means. You should be here at his side, he needs you."

Now I was getting angry, how dare she speak to me like this? My tone was icy as I responded.

"I haven't the faintest idea what you are talking about, Aro promised Jasper a fair hearing and my release and I'm not prepared to discuss the matter any further with you."

"I see, so you believed Jasper when he told you that he would be safe here? Do you have any idea of the penalty for treason in the Volturi?"

I didn't answer her because I was busy trying to work out what her angle was in all this,

"Did you hear me, Bella? By leaving Volterra you have condemned him to a terrible fate."

Still, I didn't reply, something told me not to trust Esme, she wasn't the woman I remembered, she sounded angry and desperate, so who or what had forced her to make this call?

"I have to go Esme."

"No! You have to get back here Bella for my sake."

If she had been human I think she would have been crying with desperation,

"I mean it, Bella, they will kill him if you don't return, I don't know why he's being so unreasonable, he knows how much this means to us. Get back here Bella."

I turned my phone off then asked the cab driver to turn around,

"I've changed my mind, take me back to the apartment please."

"Family trouble? Always a bitch that is."

He'd heard enough to make out the caller was upset and guessed at the rest but I just nodded,

"Yeah, mother in law trouble."

"Bummer man, they're the worst."

He spent the drive back to my apartment regaling me with tales of his three past mother's in law and how much trouble they had caused him, it made me glad I wasn't married when I heard his problems.

Back at my apartment I rang Darius and explained Esme's phone call,

"What's going on Darius? Is Jasper in trouble?"

"Give me an hour and I'll be over, by then I should have some up to date news for you."

I trusted him so I unpacked, made coffee, and called my dad just to check in with him listening as he told me about the long, rambling, and aggressive conversation he had with Renee the day before.

"I swear that woman has a screw loose. She's still blaming me for you not calling her but now I'm responsible for your callous attitude too, I'm amazed she hasn't got me pinned for global warming and the price of gas."

I couldn't help smiling at that, it was true, whatever went wrong in Renee's life was always Charlie's fault, Phil seemed immune from any of her nagging, maybe he just ignored it, switched off when she started bitching, mind that would mean he spent almost all his time at home with her on another planet, not a bad idea though.

By the time Darius arrived an hour and a half later I was almost climbing the walls, unsure whether to believe anything Esme had said or not but prepared to travel back to Volterra if Jasper really was in trouble. I almost yanked him off his feet as I pulled him inside and began shooting questions at him before he had a chance to open his mouth. In the end, he held up both hands,

"Bella quit. Let me get a word in, please. Now, tell me exactly what Esme said to you first."

He pushed me down onto a dining chair and perched himself on the edge of the table as I told him all I could remember of our conversation.

"Right, so now you're going crazy with worry over what she said when you aren't even sure you should believe any of it. Have I got that right?"

I nodded feeling a little foolish when he put it like that.

"Bella, you have to understand that the Cullen's have their own agenda, they are capable of doing almost anything to get revenge on Carlisle's ex-friend. Trust me, if you go rushing back to Volterra you will have made everything The Major did worthless and surely he deserves better than that?"

"Put like that I guess you're right but why does Aro want me back? He could have kept me there but he let me go."

"I guess that's something we need to find out, I've put feelers out in Volterra, now don't worry I have my own spies, how else would I know what my nemesis was doing over the centuries? Mind, he did miss Caius leaving when he did but then no one is infallible. Once we know what Aro is after we can decide what to do but for now I need you to get back to work, however hard that might seem."

 **Darius**

The Cullens becoming involved made my job that much harder, it was obvious Carlisle and Esme had made a deal with Aro, they would try to pressure Bella into returning to Volterra in exchange for Aro picking up William, it was all down to revenge. Of course, Peter's slip-up gave Bella all she needed to understand why The Major had acted as he did and I knew she had squeezed all the information she could from Charlotte and me about the vampire mating pull. She tortured herself with what she had learned but what she hadn't understood was that he had a good reason for denying the fact that she was his mate whatever that meant for him personally. In my mind that meant he didn't want Bella back in Volterra but should I tell her this? Would it help? Perhaps if we tried to discover just what Aro found so interesting about her and why he had felt it unwise to keep her in Volterra it would prevent her thinking about returning because it was plain that was the way her thoughts were turning.

"Bella, there is perhaps something we can do although I know it wasn't what The Major saved you for."

She looked at me eagerly,

"What?"

"I'll explain but first you must give me your solemn word that once I have you won't do anything behind my back and certainly not try to get back to Volterra. I'd like to trust you but be warned, if necessary I will bring the air traffic control systems of every country to a standstill and have you arrested as a terrorist suspect if you force my hand."

She nodded,

"You just want to do what Jasper asked you and keep me safe, I understand that and appreciate your loyalty to a friend. I just want to know why Jasper is so eager to keep me away from the Volturi so you have my word but in return let me explain something to you. If I find you keeping anything from me, anything at all, not only will I find a way to get to Volterra, I will blow the lid right off your secret world and trust me, I have enough of a story to do it."

She held out a hand,

"Deal?"

I nodded and shook,

"Deal."

I explained about a mutual friend whose gift was the ability to see gifts in others,

"I don't know if he will help us, I can only ask, but if so then maybe we'll understand a lot more, then we can work out a way to settle this problem."

"Which problem? My inability to go back to my old life as everyone wants or Jasper's plight in Volterra? Can we get to your friend before the trial?"

I nodded,

"If he'll see us, yes."

While Bella grabbed her overnight bag I called Eleazar relieved to find him home but as I explained the situation I got the impression he knew a lot more than he was telling and it occurred to me that he might well have spoken to Carlisle.

"I can guess that you don't want to be involved in anything that might get back to the Volturi and I understand. All we need is for you to tell us if Bella has a gift and if so, what it is. We can be there in a few hours or meet you somewhere neutral if you prefer."

There was a long pause and I thought he was going to refuse but finally, he sighed,

"Very well, I'll meet the girl but not here. I'll come to you, where are you?"

When I explained we agreed to meet halfway. I would bring Bella to Toronto and he would meet us at the airport.


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter Forty**

 **Jasper**

Aro must be getting desperate, he came again to ask me my reasons for disobeying orders keen to have me admit I recognized Bella as my mate but when I refused I could see a flash of his famous temper.

"Why are you so stubborn Major? Do you want to die? You know the penalty for treason so why don't you save yourself? I'm not asking you to lie or betray anyone, just tell the truth."

"I can't tell you what you want to hear just because you want me to Aro, I accept I betrayed my command so let's just get this over with. I'm sick of sitting here day after day staring at these four walls and listening to my guard's bitch about their watch."

He studied me closely,

"Either you are very brave or extremely stupid and I think we both know you are not a coward so what is it that you fear most Major?"

"I forgot how to feel fear a very long time ago Aro, fear weakens you."

"Yes it does but we all fear something…...I wonder what it is that you fear, perhaps we shall see before this is over."

If he was trying to scare me it was a very sloppy attempt, Darius, and the others would keep Bella safe from the Volturi and so long as I remained here Aro's hands were tied by his own word of honor.

He must have realized he hadn't got anywhere because he sent another emissary, Esme this time, although not the woman I remembered, this one had a hard look on her face and her eyes were glittering orbs, she looked more like a vampire than I had ever seen her, again Carlisle's friend had destroyed something precious and I felt sorry for what she had become.

I stood up and gestured for her to be seated, then leaned against the wall opposite,

"Carlisle said you were here, Esme. You look good."

She smiled but it never reached her eyes,

"Better than you anyway. You're looking awful."

I laughed,

"Thanks, that makes me feel better. You'll excuse my quarters, the maid hasn't been in yet."

"I don't know how you can be so flippant, do you not realize the danger you are in?"

"Danger? What's the worst they can do to me? I've faced death before, it's not so frightening."

She grimaced,

"Still the noble hero I see. But what about Bella? What do you think will happen to her if you die?"

"Bella? I have no idea what you mean, Bella is just a friend I tried to help, no thanks to Carlisle. I take it you know what he did and what the results were?"

"Yes, I know and I'm living with the results Jasper, I don't need you to remind me. Why are you being so stubborn where she's concerned? Don't you want your mate here with you? You know Aro will never pick William up until you do and we will never get our revenge, is that fair?"

"Fair? You think it's fair for me to lure Bella here under false pretenses just so you can get revenge on a man Carlisle asked for help even though he knew that man hated him?"

"She will end up here, one way or another. Wouldn't it be better if she came willingly to you?"

I didn't answer her, maybe she was right but I rather doubted Aro would try to bring her here by force or he wouldn't need me.

Esme sat looking at me as if trying to read my thoughts and becoming frustrated when she understood that nothing she said would change my mind.

"I see. So you're content to sit here until Aro loses patience and has you executed, fine. I'll find a way to get Bella back here myself then."

"You can try but you should know she doesn't trust any of the family, not anymore and if you did succeed I'd get out of here, hunt you down and rip your head off Esme."

She glared at me but I could see even though I was a prisoner here she was still wary of me, then she got up.

"You're a fool Jasper but maybe after Maria, you can't see love anymore. If you think your silence will save Bella be warned, the Volturi always gets what it wants in the end."

It was my turn to smile this time,

"Somehow I think this time they might just be disappointed. You know where the door is."

I pushed away from the wall and sauntered over to lay on the bench she had vacated angrily and closed my eyes, I was weary, thirsty, and tired of fighting the urge to free myself from this room and go find a meal of my own. Aro had sent in nourishment for me, human blood, first in a flask and then an injured and terrified human boy but I had ignored both, he was trying to wear me down, make me more amenable but he had no idea how strong my will was or how long I could hold out, I wasn't even sure myself.

I had been punished before, Maria had tried to dry me out more than once but each time I had outlasted her. When I left her I tried to go as long as possible between kills for my own sanity and had surprised myself at my fortitude. Of course, I had fallen off the wagon helping Bella but that couldn't be helped, it made my task more difficult as the human blood called so strongly to me again but my goal was to ensure Aro kept his word which meant keeping mine. Sooner or later he would be forced to call me to trial and then I would learn my punishment and despite what Esme said I knew he wouldn't kill me, I was too good a commander for that, I was also gifted and he never wasted a gift. I guess he thought by keeping me alive he could eventually lure Bella here and I knew every hour would be torment without her but it was my punishment, not hers and my friends would keep her human and safe.

 **Aro**

Jane informed me that Esme had visited The Major and the outcome of their discussion, he was stubborn and strong and just maybe this time I wouldn't get what I wanted. He could be conquered eventually, he would become thirsty enough and weak enough that Chelsea could force his loyalty but we both knew even her gift had its limitations. Marcus was loyal but I couldn't manipulate him into doing something he had no desire to do and the same would be true of The Major, it was frustrating but true. If only…...of course! There was someone who might be able to influence him enough to call Bella back, and it would please Carlisle but even with this information there was no guarantee we could find and capture William, we had tried often enough over the centuries without success but it was worth a try if I wanted Bella Swan here in Volterra.

I knew she was gifted, I knew that gift was strong, even I couldn't see her thoughts, she had beaten Edward and Alice with their gifts and Marcus who couldn't see anything of the relationship between her and The Major even though it was clear there was one. Jane hadn't realized it but she couldn't have knocked Bella down and when I heard her account of the fight with Peter Whitlock and Darius I understood Jane had thought Bella was affected but in reality, she had been brought down by one of them and played her part….. clever girl. I had heard only once before of a powerful shield, much more powerful and useful than dear Renata's but that human had been murdered by a nomad before I could get my hands on him. Perhaps Bella was a descendant of his and the gift had lain dormant. Perhaps we should resume our hunt for gifted humans. Once upon a time it had been a regular thing to send out hunting parties to look for gifted humans but at the time Eleazar had been in the Volturi, the only man who could see gifts in humans, now we had no one. I had given my word he would be left in peace and much as it irked me I would not break my solemn vow. A man had to believe in something and despite my less than perfect reputation I could be trusted when it came to my word, it was my greatest weapon and my best defense.

Marcus and the others hadn't asked too many questions until this point although I knew they all wondered at my recent actions and now it was time to explain those and my next move.

"Are you saying this girl is so powerful that we couldn't force her to stay? If so then surely she's too dangerous to be allowed to live Aro?"

I smiled at Athena's worried expression, it was good to see her so confident and engaged, I had always suspected that Caius held her back and now I was being proved right.

"Truly powerful gifts are very rare my dear Athena and destroying one out of hand would be criminal, besides I am not absolutely sure, this is pure gut instinct."

"But your instincts are rarely wrong Aro."

"True Marcus and I am willing to gamble heavily on this one. I believe Bella is a shield, not like Renata whose sphere of influence is so small she has to be in physical contact with her subject. Bella has been able to shield herself from Edward and from my own mind reading capabilities thus far and as far as I know, it has also interfered with Alice Cullen's visions and I suspect protected her from Jane's influence. If she is this powerful now just imagine how much more so she will be once she becomes a vampire. If her gift can prevent us from keeping her here and loyal something as you know I abhor when there is an alternative then we must persuade her to return of her own free will and that is where The Major comes in. He freely admits that his actions were a betrayal so any punishment he receives will be just. He refuses to save himself by acknowledging the girl which leads me to suspect he is aware there is something special about her. If, as I am sure, the two are mates, then she will not be able to resist returning to us, we just have to be patient."

I could see they were impressed by my knowledge and the thought processes that had led to my decision especially as I was not known for my leniency when it came to traitors. Allow one to go free and a hundred more will pop up, the only way to keep the peace and stay on top of our species was by demonstrating there was no clemency for those who broke the law. Of course it made keeping The Major incarcerated rather than having him executed more problematical but as the leader of the ruling council I had the leeway to delay any trial giving him time to save himself if he would or for her to return as she surely must do sooner or later, even humans felt the maying pull if not as strongly as we vampires.

When I finished explaining my plan the others looked more comfortable and I do believe they might have feared I was losing my grip, how amusing.

"Shall we take a vote on delaying The Major's trial a little longer?"

It was unanimous and then Sulpicia dropped the bombshell,

"Of course there might be a fly in the ointment, Esme Cullen is desperate for us to pick up William and I fear she might be pushed into action if we leave him alone."

"Oh, we will take William, I have plans for him if this stretches on too long. We will send Demetri, Alec, and Felix to bring him in with the information Carlisle has presented us. In fact, I think he would like to be among the hunting party, our old friend finally seeks revenge, it's a refreshing diversion from his usual goodwill to all men attitude and one I approve of. Now Sulpicia, if you would like to inform Esme that action is being taken with regard to William I will give Felix his orders and inform Carlisle he may join the hunting party if he so desires. Is there anything else?"

There hadn't been and I went to find my old friend to give him the good news.

"What changed your mind, Aro?"

"A conversation with my council members, or have you changed your mind?"

"No, I want to see William pay for what he did to my family. You do intend on keeping him here in Volterra?"

"I do and placid as a little lamb with Chelsea and Corin's help, he will be useful to us although of course, I will need to find a reason to imprison him, I can't just snatch an innocent man from the streets."

"Innocent? He's a dangerous psychopath."

"Hardly that Carlisle, but if you are willing to testify to his actions with regard to your family I think we could find him guilty of using his gift illegally."

As expected Carlisle was more than willing to do so although I doubted he realized that by doing so he left himself open to a counter-charge, after all, he had approached William in order to use his gift for immoral if not illegal purposes. This would kill two birds with one stone, both would lose their freedom and the Volturi would have gained two intelligent and useful members.


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter Forty One**

 **Bella**

I was really nervous about meeting Eleazar, partly because of what he might say, after all if he found I had no gift then we would be back at the beginning with no idea where to go next, but also because he was a friend of Carlisle's and for that reason I wasn't sure I trusted him but Darius did so I had to trust his judgement, he was my only ally right now.

I don't know what I expected but certainly not the man I was introduced to. Eleazar looked like a silent movie idol with his Latin looks and black hair slicked back. Darius had told me he was a very old and knowledgeable vampire and that showed in his eyes which seemed to drill into my brain as he stared at me.

I took his outstretched hand nervously and we shook,

"Miss Swan, it is a delight to meet such a beautiful young woman."

As he bowed over my hand I felt myself blush noticing other passengers staring at the out of place courtly gesture.

"Perhaps we could find somewhere more private to speak?"

Darius nodded and we found a table at the back of the airport restaurant in a dark corner waiting in awkward silence until the server had brought our coffees and disappeared.

Eleazar aimed his question at Darius,

"What makes you think Miss Swan is gifted?"

"It's Bella, Miss Swan makes me feel like an old lady."

He turned his attention to me and smiled nodding graciously,

"Of course, please forgive me. So Bella, why do you think you might be gifted?"

I glanced at Darius who told Eleazar enough to understand the situation and then we discovered he already knew some of it from Carlisle. I had been right, the two were still in contact and I began to worry but Eleazar seemed to sense this.

"Be assured Bella, I told Carlisle what I am going to tell you, it is never wise to try and best the Volturi, they may be the law but sometimes Aro has been known to interpret it rather loosely. I refused to become involved in this problem which I felt he had brought upon himself."

He wasn't going to help us, I felt my stomach lurch with disappointment but then he continued.

"However, I also believe that The Major is being held illegally in Volterra for breaking his trust in order to save his mate, a situation I'm sure you are aware of Bella."

I nodded feeling in my very soul it was the truth.

"If The Major is refusing to acknowledge you then he has his reasons for doing so and I assume that is why you are here. Allow me to indulge my curiosity a little, why, if you believe that you are gifted and Aro is aware of this, did he allow you to leave Volterra in the first place?"

Darius answered for me,

"We think he couldn't have prevented it even if he had wanted to. We believe Bella's gift although subconscious is too strong for him to try forcing her to even if his laws would allow such an action."

Eleazar continued never taking his eyes from me,

"And you think The Major is aware of this and if he acknowledges her then Aro could call her back. He won't let The Major go, after all, he is a traitor but he would allow him to live if his mate stayed with him. Aro is actually in a rather difficult position, his own laws forbid him from keeping mates apart but while there is no acknowledgment he can't put pressure on Bella to return."

"Yeah, so is she?"

Like me, Darius was becoming impatient and I worried Eleazar might be playing for time, maybe even now the Volturi were closing in on us.

Eleazar gazed at me in silence for a while then very slowly nodded his head,

"Yes, Bella is gifted although I doubt she has any control over it as a human. Instinctively she keeps herself safe with her shield but if she were to become a vampire…"

He hesitated closing his eyes as if wishing he could be anywhere but here and I understood, Darius had told me that Eleazar was still Volturi even though he now lived away from them and rarely got called on to act on their behalf so by talking to us as he was he could be accused of treason himself. Then he sat up opened his eyes and stared straight at me,

"As a vampire, you would be more powerful than anyone I have ever met and it's my gift to see gifts in both humans and vampires. Your shield could protect anyone you chose to stand with and there is not a being on this planet who could prevent or stop you."

He turned to Darius,

"If you want my opinion, and you are about to hear it whether you want to or not, Bella should acknowledge The Major and go to Volterra, become a vampire, and swear to stand with the Volturi or she will spend the rest of her existence as a human or vampire alone and running because if Aro believes her to be an enemy or that she might even be persuaded by an enemy such as the Romanians to work for them he will kill The Major to ensure she cannot survive, he will have no choice. Personally, I think he is trying very hard to give you time to come to the decision alone which although you may not believe it is the way he acts where possible. If he were to stick to the letter of the law then The Major would already be dead after refusing to use his ace card…..Bella."

He got up then and took my hand again bringing it to his cold lips and touching it momentarily before turning to Darius,

"What you choose to do is your concern but if you want my advice, persuade Bella to turn and take her to Volterra, if not there will be a tragedy."

He bowed his head to me and walked away soon lost to view among the crowds in the terminal hall beyond the restaurant as Darius sighed leaning back in his chair and waving away the server who approached to refill our coffee cups.

"Well, I guess it's down to us then."

I nodded, it was, I had to make a decision but would Darius back me? After all, he was Jasper's friend and we both knew what Jasper wanted him to do, me too.

I finished my coffee waiting for him to speak again but he seemed deep in thought so I sat quietly playing with my napkin and noticed with relief that my hands which had been shaking when we arrived were now rock steady, whether because Eleazer had gone or because I now knew I was gifted and could protect myself I didn't know. After a few more minutes I broke the silence,

"So, what do we do now?"

Darius looked up and I could see he was troubled,

"Do we trust what Eleazar said? I mean he is Volturi, you told me that yourself so maybe he said what he thought Aro wanted him to."

"Eleazar may be Volturi but he's honorable and I believe him which leaves me with one hell of a dilemma."

"I know."

He took out his laptop and began tapping away while I sat watching him but my thoughts were thousands of miles away with Jasper. If, as Darius believed, we could trust Eleazar then I was all that stood between Jasper and death but it meant becoming a vampire myself and that scared the hell out of me.

"What are you doing?"

"Checking what's going on with the Volturi. It looks like a snatch squad has been sent out."

"Coming for us?"

He shook his head,

"Nope, it would appear Carlisle got his wish, they're looking for William."

"Oh."

It was a weak response but I was filled with such relief that I wasn't being hunted that I couldn't think of anything else to say.

Darius eventually shut the lid of his computer and leaned back in his chair,

"We should go, the Volturi may not be looking for you but it's best not to take chances and they may not be the only ones who know about you."

I followed him out of the terminal and back to the car looking around uncomfortably as one word echoed loudly in my head, "Romanians".

We drove away headed north although when I asked Darius where we were going he just shrugged,

"I think better when I'm driving Bella."

"What's it like? Becoming a vampire? Do you have to be bitten over and over like in the novels or do I have to die?"

He didn't answer me at first but I persisted,

"Eleazar said I would be unstoppable as a vampire, I could go back to Volterra and get Jasper then. Aro couldn't stop me and he would be free. You said you trusted Eleazar Darius so why not?"

Indicating he pulled off the road and cut the engine then turned to look me directly in the face.

"Sounds like a great plan, I turn you and you save the day. If it were as easy as that don't you think I would have suggested it?"

"Would you? After all, I know Jasper wanted me out of Volterra but I doubt he knew how powerful I could be, he was just scared I might get recruited by Aro."

Darius shook his head,

"Becoming a vampire isn't a lifestyle choice Bella, it's not something you do on a whim and it's a one-way ticket, there's no coming back and believe me there are a lot of vampires who wish they could turn the clock back."

"I know I couldn't become a human again but look at you, Peter, and the Cullens, you all live among humans without anyone suspecting what you really are. I know there's the thing about sunlight and I'm not stupid enough to forget being a vampire means living on blood but Jasper told me it was possible to live on animal rather than human blood."

I stopped realizing from his expression that I was making a complete fool of myself by assuming so much.

He didn't say anything for a long time and I wondered if he was going to leave me, we knew I was safe from the Volturi so he could, although how I would cope without this one last connection to Jasper I couldn't imagine. Then to my relief, he spoke,

"Becoming a vampire now wouldn't help Bella, trust me."

"Why not?"

"Because it's not like putting on a shirt or having your hair cut, one simple action, becoming a vampire is just the first phase. I could turn you easily and after three days of agony you'd wake a vampire but it takes years to learn control, trust me, I know. For the first few years you'll be obsessed with blood and the hunt, you'll kill anything just to quench the agonising thirst you feel and even then it only eases for a short while and the rest of the time all you would think about was killing, you'll be a danger to every living thing around you and please don't think that living on animal blood is easy because it's not and unless you have the strength of Hercules you'll fail because, believe me, the yearning for human blood will always be what drives you."

I was staggered by his words, I had thought becoming a vampire would be unpleasant and painful but three days of agony followed by years of torture! I guess the Cullens and the few other vampires I had met thus far made it look easy. Darius touched my hand,

"Are you OK? I didn't mean to scare you but you needed to hear the truth. Even if you became a vampire today you would be no use to The Major or anyone else for years, if you survive that is, most newborns don't, they are reckless and get taken out by their sire or the Volturi and if it's the latter then the sire dies too."

I closed my eyes to hide my tears of frustration. What now? How could I be so powerful yet so helpless? It was just too hard to bear.


	42. Chapter 42

****Chapter Forty Two****

 **Aro**

It didn't take long with the information from Carlisle to find and capture William, especially with Demetri to track him and Alec to immobilize him for the journey back to Volterra. Of course, Carlisle and Esme were delighted with the news that William had been taken and Carlisle was only too happy to appear at his trial and give evidence against his one-time friend. I wondered if he was aware just how much he had changed over the last few years, the upright noble young man who had first come to Volterra full of grand idea's to use his vampire powers to help humanity had gone and in his place was a bitter disillusioned vampire who could not only feel hatred but the thirst for revenge, would he survive this? I had my doubts if he ever looked in the mirror and realized what he had become Carlisle could quite possibly be so horrified and decide he hated what he saw more than he could bear. I hoped not, I still liked my friend and valued his friendship and I hoped that his mate would give him the strength to go on but he would never be the same again, that Carlisle had gone forever.

We decided it would be safer to keep William under Alec's influence until his trial, he was far too dangerous to be allowed alert enough to use his gift and keeping him in stasis for a few days would give Chelsea time enough to bind him to us although he could never be trusted enough to live which was a shame but inevitable.

As soon as Chelsea was satisfied we allowed William to awaken only to find himself in the audience chamber surrounded by guards and watched by most of the Volturi. Everyone had heard of William's capture and knew his story which meant they were eager to see the trial although few believed he would live.

He looked around warily and then his eyes met mine and I saw resentment and hatred there, so Chelsea had only managed to ensure that he could not act against us not loyalty to us.

"William, please take a seat, you know why you are here?"

He sat down and looked around again.

"At a guess, I would say I have been betrayed, handed to the Volturi like a goat to the slaughter."

"Well, perhaps you would like to face your accuser once the charges have been read out to you."

"This is ridiculous, not a trial just a show. You already know the sentence and so do I. I will never join the Volturi so why not just get on with it and kill me. That's what you always planned to do when I told you to go to hell."

"Not at all, this trial is not of our calling, you have been accused of breaking our laws and we as the ruling council must hold a trial and hear both sides if you are innocent of the charges laid before you then you will go free."

He laughed and pulled a face but sat quietly as Marcus read out the charges of deliberately causing the disintegration of a coven using a gift and of separating mated couples in doing so."

William jumped up,

"I object, I have never separated a mated couple, that's a lie."

Carlisle who had sat unnoticed behind William until now stood up,

"What about Alice and Jasper? What about Esme and I? You have tried to destroy my life's work, my family, it's all shattered and you were the one to blame. You destroyed relationships to do so and I accuse you of that."

"You? I should have known when you came whining to me for help after your precious daughter saw trouble ahead, despite the fact you had betrayed me. Did you really expect I would forget what you did? You gave me a means of revenge in my hand, did you really think I would ignore it? If so you are a bigger fool than I thought Carlisle Cullen. It was so very easy and if not for trouble with the human you wanted to forget you would never have remembered speaking to me."

Sulpicia stood up,

"May I ask a question?"

I nodded and gestured for her to do so.

"You said Carlisle came to you for help, can you tell us why?"

William's eyes narrowed but then he saw an opportunity to turn the blame back on his one-time friend.

"He was afraid that a human the family had become involved with would destroy his family. His "daughter" Alice had seen something and he wanted me to help."

"How exactly?"

"By causing them all to forget about her."

"So they knew this human for some time before he came to you?"

"Yes, I suppose so."

"I see. Carlisle, could you explain what the relationship was between your family and this human? According to your previous explanation, you told my husband that your family only knew this human because they all attended the same school and socialized together, It sounds as if there was more to it than that."

At this point, Carlisle realized he too was on trial and his expression changed. He clutched Esme's hand and lowered his head.

"Carlisle, could you please answer the question Sulpicia has just put to you?"

He did and it all came out although he tried to make it as innocent as possible, Edward and the girl had dated for a short while, the girl had gone to the house only on a couple of occasions and no one had given her any cause to question the family, she accepted them as human. There was a loud murmuring among the spectators which I allowed to go on for a minute before calling for silence once more.

"So, it would appear your choice of lifestyle put a human in a position where she could have noticed the differences in your "family"? And when you understood there was danger you asked William to wipe the memories of everyone involved including the humans? Is that right?"

He nodded but I continued to stare at him until he spoke,

"Yes. but Bella was never suspicious about us, never."

"I see, well it appears to me that you too have a case to answer but first let us deal with William. Would you like to say anything else in your defence, William?"

He shook his head still glaring at Carlisle.

"Very well. Then the jury may retire to consider their verdict and sentence."

We had pre-picked a jury consisting of Sulpicia, Athenadora, and ten members of the Volturi guard and they solemnly filed out but were back in a matter of minutes and Athena who was chosen as spokesperson stood up,

"We have come to a decision very quickly as the facts were indisputable. We find William guilty of breaking our laws, using his gift in such a way as to destroy relationships and for this, we condemn him to death."

There was no reaction from the condemned man as he was led away by the guards standing at his side, Felix and Santiago. Their bulk always made such occasions look more serious and, if necessary, threatening.

I turned my attention to Carlisle next,

"Do you have anything to say in your defence, Carlisle Cullen?"

He stood up belligerent now.

"What exactly am I being accused of here?"

"I would have thought that obvious, you solicited a gifted vampire to meddle in not only a human's mind but that of your own coven, a despicable act especially for someone of such high moral standing. Do you wish to plead?"

He shook his head,

"No, I have nothing to say except that I have been punished enough for my crime by losing my family, the people I love, and betraying my mate's loyalty as she knew nothing of my actions until a long time afterwards."

"Very well, the jury will undoubtedly take your words into consideration as they deliberate. Do you have any objection to the same jury members?"

He looked at the faces that watched him impassively and shook his head,

"No, none."

This time the jury were away much longer which I was pleased about, I had made my own personal feelings known but they were at liberty to disregard these when coming to a decision. When they returned it was Sulpicia who stood as foreman of the jury and spoke.

"We have taken into consideration Carlisle's explanations and the terrible burden he now bears as the architect of his own misery and that of his mate in losing their…...coven mates. However, we do find Carlisle guilty of using a gift to his own ends without the knowledge of his mate who should have been a party to all his decisions and against those same coven mates. We are willing to show clemency if Carlisle is willing to accept our terms. He and his mate must remain in Volterra for a parole term of no less than one hundred years during which time he will sit with the council and offer his unique take on humanity when asked. After such time if it is deemed that he has understood the severity of his actions he should be allowed to leave but on the understanding that he does not collect together another coven unless with our approval which would not be granted for a further one hundred years. If he refuses the offer made by us then we submit he sees nothing wrong in what he did and must serve a minimum of five hundred years in the Volturi guard under Chelsea's influence so we can be assured he will carry out any orders as requested and if Esme wishes it we are willing to help make her stay here more acceptable using Corin's gift, that, of course, is at Esme's discretion."

I nodded, it was a generous offer but would Carlisle accept it or prefer to serve his sentence in the guard? I glanced at him and saw Esme speaking to him very quietly, so quietly even I could not hear her words but I could guess them, she would be advising him to take the offer, Esme was happy here in Volterra and that should help her mate with his decision.

"Well, Carlisle? Do you have an answer for the jury or do you require more time?"

He stood up again suddenly looking much older, a broken man, and I knew it had little to do with this trial, Carlisle had already tried himself and found himself guilty and knew he had to live with the decision he had taken and its dire consequences for everyone he cared about.

"I accept the jury's offer to remain here along with Esme and thank you for being so sensitive in your deliberations."

I nodded, he'd made the right choice, the only choice really open to him, Carlisle was not a fighter, he had never been, and his decision to use William instead of fighting for his family's survival had proved this.

As he and Esme left the chamber he glanced around at me,

"Is Jasper to be tried soon? Or will you leave him in that cell until he dries out?"

I shrugged,

"I have no intention of holding The Major a moment longer than necessary and you know he holds the key to his freedom. If he continues to refuse our help then he will be tried but I assure you he is not being, as you put it, dried out. He is a legal prisoner though if you doubt that ask him yourself, he accepts it and I expect you to also Carlisle."

Esme pulled him angrily by the arm and they left, I had a suspicion that Carlisle was going to see a different Esme from now on, a more assertive and strong woman than he was used to and I wondered how he would cope with the change, it would be interesting to watch now he would be living here again. I really had missed his company and now he was less naive and noble he would be even more interesting.


	43. Chapter 43

****Chapter Forty Three****

 **Jasper**

I had heard Carlisle had been put on trial for his actions that resulted in the disintegration of the family and hoped that the Volturi wouldn't be too hard on him, he was suffering enough as it was and Esme's pain only made his own worse. For myself, life without Bella was wearing even though she had no idea what she meant to me and we hadn't exchanged as much as a kiss. I hoped she was getting on with her life and that she would forget about me and Volterra over time and find happiness, she deserved it after all she had been through. Whatever the penalty for my treason it could not make me suffer any more than I already did. Aro's small penalty of offering me only human blood was nothing, I would hold out as long as I could but not to the extent I was so weak he could get Chelsea to work on me. What was the point? I'd already drunk human blood again to help Bella and at least now I would be merely one more vampire for whom the innocent humans were sacrificed, I wasn't going to choose my own target, let that be someone else's burden. In here I could feed and feel only the pain and terror of my own victim, if I were feasting with the Volturi the emotions would be almost impossible to bear, but Aro knew that. He had never insisted I feed on human blood when I was a commander of the guard and I was free to leave the citadel when Heidi appeared with her latest catch although from time to time I had accompanied her on her fishing trips, I had no problem with others killing to feed, my gift just made it difficult for me personally.

It had been at least three days before I saw anyone and this guard was new to me which was strange, I thought I knew all the members of the guard and they had decided that the number was now sufficient for their purposes and were no longer recruiting so who was this?

He came in bearing a flask which contained, from the scent, human blood and I knew sooner rather than later I would be forced to drink to keep up my strength but for now I resisted the urge. He shut the door behind him which was in itself unusual, guards usually appeared in pairs and the door stayed open so the ones guarding my cell could see exactly what was happening although I doubted they expected me to try to escape, I'd made it perfectly clear that I was bowing to Volturi justice.

"Here."

He thrust the flask at me but when I tried to push it away he held up a hand which contained a folded piece of paper.

"Aro says you should drink, your trial has been postponed for another week to give you time to reconsider. I'll be back for the flask in a little while. Don't choke on it, Major."

I watched him leave, the note now in my hand along wit the flask which felt strangely light considering it contained blood. Waiting until I was sure no one would be checking on me I unfolded the note and read the words printed inside,

"Trouble, Eleazar recognised Bella's gift and she knows what she is. No chance of going back to old life. Need instructions. Ρε

The note was in an unknown hand but I knew who was responsible by the Greek letters that signed it, Darius. Somehow he had a spy in the Volturi. So Bella knew what she was and as a result Darius couldn't get her back into her old life. I knew he was concerned she might try to reach me by returning to Volterra and I didn't want her here, it was far too dangerous for everyone, including the Volturi themselves.

The flask had a false bottom that unscrewed and inside were a pen and a small piece of note paper for a reply. I smoothed the paper out and began my note.

"Keep her away from here, I don't care how. I will insist on my trial and once my sentence is over I'll find her again."

We both knew that my sentence could be a long one and maybe Bella would be dead before I was free but it was the best I could do from my prison cell.

Hearing footsteps outside the door I hastily folded the note and put it and the pen back in the flask and screwed the bottom on then deciding I would need my strength for whatever lay ahead I gave in and drained the small amount of blood from the interior of the flask and handed it back to the same guard who left without a word to me. I just hoped he would get the message to Darius and not be discovered as a spy.

When Felix opened the door to check on me later I made my move,

"I want to see Aro."

He looked surprised, they were the first words I had spoken to him since I arrived here but he merely nodded and shut the door leaving me to wait once more.

It wasn't long before Aro arrived eager to hear what he hoped was good news,

"Felix said you wished to see me have you reconsidered Major?"

"No, but I demand my trial be held, as I am entitled to."

He looked disappointed but nodded,

"Yes, you are within your rights to demand a trial before your peers and if you insist then I will gather a jury together to try you tomorrow but are you sure? I don't see the problem with acknowledging the human as your mate. What is it that concerns you so much? She would be well treated here although of course it will be rather awkward if she chooses to remain human but that again is her choice, I doubt she would choose to grow old and die with such a mate as you waiting."

"I will not say what you want to hear just because you desire it and I am tired of sitting here day after day waiting for you to make your mind up."

Aro sighed heavily,

"Very well Major, your trial will take place tomorrow morning, Felix will escort you to the chamber when we are ready but there is still time to change your mind if you decide to."

I shook my head and watched as he walked out, I knew he wanted me back in the guard and that he recognised Bella was gifted and wanted her here with me but this was no place for her and I would not bring pressure on her to become a vampire, let her live out her allotted span as a human in her world, a much more peaceful and warm world than the one I could offer her.

 **Darius**

I hadn't told Bella that I had contacted The Major or she would have insisted on sending him a message herself and under the circumstances that wouldn't have been helpful, he must be suffering enough as it is without being reminded so strongly of his mate so far away. I knew what it was like to lose a mate and to know a mate lived but was out of reach must be even more devastating, I didn't know frankly how he was coping with the agony, he was a stronger man than me but then love will do that to you.

I was able to tell her that my spy in Volterra said he was fine, incarcerated but not being ill-treated which put her mind at rest a little but she too was showing signs of the mating pull which was pretty incredible in a human.

"Can you trust your spy?"

"Yes, I've used him for years and he's very reliable. Why?"

She shrugged,

"Just checking I guess. So, what now?"

"There is more Bella and you aren't going to like it."

She went pale and I motioned for her to sit down,

"He's been tried and found guilty although not of treason which carries a mandatory death sentence. Instead, they found him guilty of gross misconduct and he's been sentenced to one hundred years assessing and training newborns taken from the southern armies."

She lost all color at hearing this,

"A hundred years? But that means I'll never see him again, no Darius, I couldn't bear that and from what I've heard about mates neither will he. Aro knows that."

"Yes he does, but his hands were tied when The Major refused to acknowledge you. He's actually gotten off pretty lightly, true he is no longer a commander and working with newborns is a bitch but he's used to that, he did it for Maria over the years. Of course, he's going to be feeling the separation but there's nothing we can do about that."

She was silent for a long time and I could see the tears in her eyes threatening to overflow but she held them back with difficulty.

"Darius, I can't do this. I know he wants me to forget him and go back to my human life but I can't. The thought I will never see him again is crippling me, I have to know that eventually, we'll be together, how can I go through my life with the knowledge that the man I love is just a few thousand miles away and I'll never see or hear from him ever again?"

"It's what he wants Bella, he wants a happy human life for you. He wants you to be safe here where you belong. Trust me, ours is not the kind of life you would wish on anyone, it's full of pain and blood, death and violence and that's not what he wants for you. If you were honest about it, it's not what you want either, is it?"

She shook her head and the tears began to fall now,

"No, but it's the life you and he lives and you made it work for you, you can show me how Darius."

I groaned I'd been right, she was as stubborn as he was!

"I already told you how difficult it is Bella, you might never gain control as a vampire and what then? You die, I die, and probably he dies too, is that acceptable to anyone?"

She wiped her eyes and took a deep breath,

"I have to be there when his sentence ends Darius, now are you going to help me or not?"

It was my turn to groan now, I knew about newborns, how dangerous they could be and how difficult it was to control them but I also knew if I refused to help Bella she would put herself in further danger by trying to find someone else to do it. Besides, if she died then that would be the end for The Major and he was my friend even if he was putting me in a difficult fucking position. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"Bella, I know nothing about newborns and I have never changed a human personally, I'm not even sure I have the control to do it, I'm a human hunter for God's sake!"

She took my hands and stared into my eyes,

"I know what you are Darius but I trust you just as Jasper trusted you. Please help me."

I sighed,

"OK, maybe, if I can get some advice first, but you understand this means the end of your human life, you can never see or contact your parents and friends again, you will be dead to all intents and purposes and if I do it I will make sure the record shows your death, there can be no loose ends. Think about it, give me a week and promise me you'll think long and hard about all of it, the loss of all you know and love, the agony of the change itself, the slaughter of innocent humans to provide the blood you need to survive, all of it, because it won't be pleasant and I know you think you love The Major but eternity is a long time and if you are wrong there's no turning back. A week."

She nodded serious now,

"I promise, I hadn't really thought about my mom and dad and the thought of killing someone to survive, treating them like we humans treat cattle…..a week?"

"A week."

"OK."

"Good, I want you to go home and spend the week living as a human, just as you used to. Speak to your parents, enjoy the sunshine, have a meal out and think what that will become once you are no longer human. Think of feeling thirsty constantly, craving blood whenever you smell a human. Think about it all."

She nodded and I was sure she would but I was also pretty sure it wouldn't change her decision, the mating pull was exerting far too powerful a lure over her and that was almost impossible to break free of.


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter Forty Four**

 **Bella**

I did as Darius asked and I really tried but I couldn't stop thinking about Jasper and whenever I did I felt that same irritation on my skin and thumping in my chest as if my heart were trying to break free of my body and crashed against my rib cage. It did occur to me that we might all be wrong, that I really wasn't Jasper's mate and that all I was feeling was a reaction to all I had been through recently. Thinking about it that made sense, I had discovered that vampires existed and even been captured by them and taken to their home in Italy. I had lost two of my close friends and it was my fault they were dead. Why had I decided to follow the path I had? Why had I become obsessed with the supernatural? Was it just a coincidence or had I somehow known that there was something different about Edward and his family, was I searching albeit unknowingly for answers?

Ringing my dad was the hardest thing I had to do during this week because it might be the very last conversation we ever had. If I went through with my crazy scheme he would think me dead, he and Renee would grieve for their lost daughter and the thought of putting them through so much pain and distress cut me to the quick. As soon as I heard Charlie's voice my eyes filled with tears, I loved my dad and I knew he loved me. We hadn't been close when I was a child, he was struggling to build a career in law enforcement and I spent nearly all my time with my mom but the times I did spend with him were therefore even more special and I knew if he were to lose me it would destroy a part of him.

I managed to keep it together and the topics light as we chatted. He told me all the latest gossip from Forks, how Angela Webber and Mike Newton had become engaged and that Jake had fallen for a girl who visited the reservation,

"I reckon we might have a wedding to attend pretty soon, you will come back for that won't you Bells? I know Jake misses you, the two of you were such good friends at one time."

"I….I'm not sure, it depends on when it is."

"Why? Have you started some new research? Did you find out about your book? Did the publishing house keep a copy of your manuscript with an external server?"

I giggled hearing such terminology from my dad's mouth and he laughed too,

"OK I admit it, I talked to a couple of the guys who know about computers and they said he was sure to have kept a copy safe outside the office, you should check on it Bells, you put a lot of hard work in and I want to read the results, besides I need something to brag about and an author for a daughter would be great."

"I'll chase it up dad, I've been kinda busy recently but I will, I promise."

When I put the phone down I felt sick, the thought I might never speak to him again hurt me physically and I knew never to hear mine again would hurt him even more.

I also bit the bullet and rang my mom although I knew there was little we had to say to each other, since meeting Phil Renee had become too self-absorbed, maybe the result of marrying someone a lot younger, Phil was only in his early thirties. She started the moment she recognised my voice, complaining I hadn't rung her sooner and telling me how selfish I was to cause her so much stress, well I thought, if I did become a vampire she wouldn't worry too much about my death, she could stop worrying about her selfish daughter or maybe I was just being unkind, she did love me, in her own peculiar way she just didn't express it very often and never in a way any normal person would recognise as love.

Other than those calls I spoke to no one except Daniel and I simply thanked him for the loan of his boat over the years and told him that I might be leaving soon. He merely gave me a quick hug and nodded his head,

I guessed as much after you lost your friend, you haven't been the same since then. I hoped getting away for a while would help but you look so lost and alone Bella. Are you going back to Forks?"

I shook my head,

"I can't go running home to my dad, he has enough problems of his own, so I guess I'll just take off and travel until I find somewhere that feels right."

"Well, keep in touch, we worry about you."

Ironic that my neighbor worried about me more than my own mother but not unexpected, Daniel had been a good friend ever since I moved in and I would miss him when I left.

So that was it, when I left, not if, but just because I had made up my mind to leave didn't mean I had also decided to become a vampire….did it?

Whenever I closed my eyes I dreamed about Jasper, it was driving me crazy thinking about him and wanting to be with him but knowing the only way to do so was to effectively die and leave everything I knew behind and I wasn't sure I had the courage for such a move.

What was the alternative? Spend the rest of my life knowing another world existed alongside ours and that a member of that alternate world loved me and would be thinking of me too, that he would be suffering for all eternity because I grew old and died? Could I do that to Jasper even if it meant my own death and the torture of becoming a vampire? That was the question I had to answer truthfully and I was terrified to utter the answer although in my heart I knew it was the only possible one I could make.

By the end of the week I was a wreck, I'd hardly slept, everything kept going around and around in my head and I had half convinced myself that it was all a terrible dream. That maybe I was sick and I had conjured all of this up in a fever-induced nightmare, that there were no vampires, that I had imagined it all, Jasper, Darius, the Volturi, everything, and I would awaken to find Sally beside my bed her head full of new ideas for research and I would certainly stay away from vampires and Italy.

When I opened my door on the seventh day and saw Darius standing there I knew it was all true and that I had to make a decision. I invited him in and he put me through the wringer asking me what I'd been doing as if he didn't know, I was sure he had been keeping an eye on me from the shadows.

"Do you really want to give up everything you know and love on the slim chance that you will find happiness as a creature of the shadows?"

I could have laughed at his choice of words but he was in deadly earnest, his eyes boring into mine as if looking for the answer in my soul.

"I can't go on as I am Darius, there's no light in my life now, it's all bled out and I can't stop thinking about Jasper. You know I am his mate, so do I and so does he but he's willing to sacrifice everything to give me a human life, I don't understand why it's so important to him."

"I can't talk for The Major but I can hazard a guess if it were me in the same situation I doubt I could be so selfless even though I know that being a vampire is a terrible thing. He wants you to hang onto your humanity, stay the sweet young woman you are and not become a blood-drinking monster who kills to survive. You see his dilemma?"

I nodded,

"I do but it's my life, my choice, not his and I really think I'm going to go crazy unless I do something."

"You do have options, Bella."

"Like what?"

"Remain human and go on with your life, remain human and go back to Volterra although I must tell you that once their your options might be taken from you, or you become a vampire and hope you can deal with it, not every human can, some kill themselves because they can't stand killing other people and drinking their blood or they never gain control of themselves and have to be taken down by the Volturi. There's no guarantee you will be able to learn control and if you do it could take decades."

And there it was, the greatest risk of all and one I had to either accept or turn away and run.

 **Jasper**

My sentence stretched out before me, an agony of not only the years I must spend training newborns again which brought back memories of the past but centuries of anguish without Bella. I wondered if I was as strong as Darius if I could survive knowing I'd had her with my reach only to let her go? He had revenge to keep him strong, to give him a goal, something to live for whereas I knew that within a few decades my mate would also be dead and beyond my reach but because of my sacrifice she would have the opportunity to really live and find happiness, perhaps that would be enough consolation.

For a few days I was alone with the first batch of newborns, only six of them and I could see immediately that only two would survive to be useful, the others were not going to learn control, I had an eye for that and I killed them quickly, using them as practise dummies for the two. The emotions were almost overwhelming and it took all my reserves of strength to overcome them and function and that's when I knew the only way I was going to survive this was if I returned to human blood. It was a crushing defeat but one I could survive, I had to because I knew if I failed then Aro would see it as another betrayal and I feared he might consider it the end of our pact and take action against Bella.

Six months passed and I now had an assistant, a guard called Katie who was an excellent fighter having been turned during the second world war in Poland where she fought with the resistance until she had been gut shot and left for dead by her comrades. She had been turned by Demetri and shown her worth within a few years, now she had been sent to help or maybe watch over me, not that it mattered, I had a group of seventeen newborns and could do with the help. I could feel that she liked me and she made it plain that she would be a willing bed companion but I felt nothing for her, not even animal desire, it was as if Bella had taken everything good I had with her, leaving me only the dark side of my nature.

After some months time lost all meaning except for the feelings of yearning and pain which grew steadily until they were beginning to cripple me, even thinking was an effort and I found myself shutting all thoughts of Bella away and allowing The Major to take control, he felt nothing but rage and determination, nothing got between him and his duty, not even love. With a diet of human blood and my work to keep me occupied I could fool myself that I had forgotten Bella and that the pain was gone but I was only fooling myself and the moment I let my guard down everything came crashing back down to crush me so I tried very hard never to allow myself to think or reminisce or I wouldn't be able to function and I had to. Whatever Bella had done with her life, Darius had obviously persuaded her to stay away and forget about me, I hoped she was happy, that she had found someone to love and care for her but that sent The Major into a frenzy so I stopped and went back to fighting and taming my recruits and tried not to watch the passing of time, time that meant little to me but so much to a human.


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter Forty Five**

 **Darius**

Bella knew I had been watching over her when I gave her a week to think things over but I had also been busy trying to persuade Peter and Charlotte to help me if as I suspected, she insisted on joining our species. They knew all about coping with newborns and it had been Peter who opened his big mouth and told Bella what she and The Major were to each other. I had thought they would jump at the opportunity to help but Peter knew how The Major felt and decided it would be a betrayal of their friendship. It was difficult but once I had spoken to Bella again and told them of her decision he began to come round knowing I would be out of my depth with Bella as a newborn if I could even change her without draining her of blood.

"Have you thought about what Eleazer told you? If she has this kick ass fucking gift and she can't control it then you can kiss your balls goodbye! Who knows, she might kill us all as soon as she wakes up, then what? The Volturi come and maybe, just maybe they can kill her but if not then she could out us to the world and destroy half of it before she's six month's old. The Major had his reasons for keeping his mouth shut….."

"Yeah well, unfortunately, someone else couldn't so we have to work with what we've got Peter so are you gonna help or just keep bitching?"

"Fuck you, Darius!"

"Sorry, you're not my type Peter."

I relaxed if he had been about to turn me down the phone line would be dead by now.

The delay gave Bella time to prepare although as I pointed out she couldn't do anything that might appear suspicious once her death was announced. Really it was time for her to have second thoughts although that was as likely as Peter winning a prize for public speaking! She did spend time talking to Charlotte on the phone and I knew Peter's wife wouldn't sugar coat anything much as she wanted to see The Major settled and happy.

I found a place in the Rockies where it would be fairly safe for Bella to wake as a vampire, at least there wouldn't be humans around although I would ensure we had a supply of blood for her if the animal blood diet she seemed so set on didn't work out which was a distinct possibility. The Cullen's had made it seem simple when in reality it was very hard and took a lot of willpower which Bella would be sadly lacking as a newborn. The alternative diet might have to wait for later but we would cross that bridge when we came to it.

Bella's cover story was a trip to the Rockies in search of cryptids including but not only Bigfoot. She bought camping gear, maps and all the crap that would show she had gone prepared and I conjured up a companion for her, after all, who would believe she had g0one alone into such a wild and potentially dangerous area alone? I gave myself a false background as a monster hunter who had written articles for various monster hunting magazines and websites and made sure it was watertight. Bella introduced me to her neighbour and I put on a good impression of a slightly flaky guy who was just crazy enough to believe Bigfoot existed without appearing crazy enough to murder my camping companion although if it came down to it the cops could chase their tails for months looking for the mythical Dave Grayson, all they would find was dead ends and eventually two skeletons buried under a rockfall in their tent. The bodies Peter and I acquired from a couple of cemeteries a few days before we left, bodies that would match our physical appearances and as they would be found with our belongings, photographs, and a journal there should be no doubt about who they were but I would monitor the situation and make any adjustments that became necessary.

I guess I hoped that telling Bella of these last-minute arrangements might jar her into a change of heart but she was as determined and strong-willed as my Sara had been and with something of a shock I understood I was willing to help her precisely because she did remind me of Sara and she gave my life purpose once more. I had determined that once my job here was done I would join my sweet Sara who had waited so long for me on the other side. I was tired now but I had done what I set out to do, I had avenged the death of my mate and now I could rest content in her arms once more.

Charlotte and Peter went down to the camp ahead of us to get things set up for the accidental rock fall and Bella and I left a day later after making a show of saying goodbye to her friend downstairs and calling Charlie just to hear his voice one last time but he was out on a call so she just left a message telling him she would ring when she got back from her latest adventure. As we drove out of the city I could see her shoulders shaking slightly and smell the salt of her tears but when I offered to turn around she just shook her head.

"It's hard to say goodbye to everything I know but I'm doing the right thing, Darius, I guess this is just my way of saying goodbye to humanity. I know you still think I should wait, that I might be making a mistake but tell me this, if I can't sleep or eat or even move without thinking about Jasper, about a man I hardly know but one who risked everything to save my life what can it be if not love?"

She had me there, everything she said just convinced me more that she and The Major were, mates and should be together but I also knew it was the one thing he had tried to prevent, Bella losing her life and becoming like us, to keep her out of Aro's clutches but if Eleazer was right then she was in no danger anyway, the only people likely to be in danger were those who tried to get between Bella and what she wanted, The Major himself. The way I looked at it, her need for him was stronger than his efforts to keep her safely human and I had a duty to help her get through the transition safely.

When we teamed up with the others the gruesome work had been completed, Peter and Charlotte had buried the tent containing the bodies under a substantial rock fall and this place was remote enough that the site wouldn't be found too quickly. Bella had arranged to call her dad in two weeks and until that time she wasn't going to be missed by anyone. By the time the emergency services found the "accident site" and excavated the bodies the weather would have made them unrecognizable, animals might even have dug them up scattering the bones, we could but hope.

We left the van I had bought for our trip parked up about a mile away from the camp-site hidden from view by dense bushes and trekked the further four miles to where Peter and Charlotte waited.

"How are we getting to…...you know, or are we staying here?"

Bella looked around nervously as if expecting to find a house with a nice soft bed for her to lie on during her transition.

"It's about twenty miles from here further up the mountain but we can't use a vehicle, for one the terrain is too rough and for another, it's not wise to leave tracks for anyone finding our bodies to follow."

She nodded her head swallowing nervously,

"I'm not sure I can make it twenty miles over rocks, I'm not really the hiking type."

I nodded,

"I know. Bella, this is your final chance to change your mind because once we reach our camp-site we'll start you on the road to becoming a vampire. Are you sure this is what you want? We can hang around here for a couple of weeks then drive back to the city and no one need ever know what you planned."

I expected her to hesitate at the least but she surprised me by nodding,

"I'm sure, let's get going. The sooner this is over the sooner I can get back to Jasper."

I glanced at Peter who merely shrugged before turning and setting off with Charlotte in tow.

I turned my back to Bella and crouched down,

"Hop aboard, it's the only way to get where we're going."

This made her hesitate but only for a moment before I felt her arms wrap around my neck and stood surprised at just how light she was.

"Hold on tight."

She tensed clutching me tightly enough that if I were a human I'd have difficulty breathing and I took off catching up with the others a few minutes later, we were all going as fast as we could wanting to get this over with.

If only we had known what trouble we were getting ourselves into I doubt any of us would do the same again. Bella didn't want any more delays and when Charlotte offered to do the deed she was relieved, I guess the thought of Peter or I violating her body in such a way had horrified her and I was happy too, self-control once feeding wasn't one of my strong points and I hadn't fancied facing The Major to tell him I had drained his mate instead of changing her!

The first few minutes had gone about as expected, after a short pause Bella's body began to spasm and she cried out as Charlotte's venom began to attack her human cells but after that, there was nothing at all that could be called normal about Bella's transformation. Suddenly she went very still and silent and after a few seconds, I became concerned although we could all hear her heart racing and the gasps as her lungs dragged in the air that would soon no longer be necessary for her survival. The silence lengthened to three then five and finally ten minutes and then Peter turned to me,

"What the fuck is going on? You ever come across anything like this before Darius?"

I shook my head as concerned as Peter.

"Nope but from her vitals, the venom is still working."

"Then how come she isn't screaming? I've turned hundreds of humans and never had one just fucking lie there like they were asleep, something must be wrong."

"Well, even if it is there's nothing we can do about it, we just have to wait and hope she wakes up."

Peter cursed and began pacing nervously,

"He's gonna fucking kill us. If we kill her he'll kill us for sure. Why did I listen to you?"

I grimaced,

"Look on the bright side Peter, I'll be joining you in hell if this goes pear-shaped."

He laughed bitterly,

"Sorry, Darius but that's not much consolation."

Peering down at the still silent figure on the ground he groaned and jogged her softly with the toe of his boot.

"This is fucking creepy, what do you think happened? I mean is she gonna die?"

I had no idea and merely sank down to sit on the rocky ground and wait and shortly after the other two joined me and we sat in silence willing Bella to make some sign that she was becoming a vampire but in vain.

Three days had never seemed so long but as we sat there silent witness to the seemly dead girl on the ground I felt every second of it and prayed quietly that she would open her eyes and speak to us. Peter nudged her every so often hoping for a response but it was like trying to move a dead weight she merely moved with his boot then settled back into the same position she had held all along. As the third day came to a close we were all getting increasingly worried and then the noise of her heartbeat ceased and her chest collapsed for the final time, Bella was either dead or had become a vampire and we waited to see which it was.


	46. Chapter 46

****Chapter**** ** **Forty Six****

 **Bella**

I had been petrified about becoming a vampire and attempted to steel myself for the terrible ordeal to come but something had gone wrong. Sure I felt a terrible pain when Charlotte first bit me, it was as if she were injecting liquid fire into my veins and I'm sure I screamed out, or maybe it was just in my mind. I expected the pain to worsen, from all I'd heard the transformation took about three days and every hour of that the agony would only get worse but I found it diminishing minute by minute and wondered if something had happened, was it all going wrong? Could it be possible for a human to resist the change into a vampire? That thought made me panic, if I couldn't become like Jasper then I would grow old and die, I might not even see him again. How could we all have been so wrong? Even Eleazar agreed that I had a powerful gift but what good was it if I couldn't use it to get back to Jasper?

Within a few minutes, I could feel the terrible burning sensation begin to lessen but it wasn't as if it were fading so much as I was being shielded from it…...shielded! Of course, my gift was a shield, it was just as Eleazar had said, I might not be able to control it consciously as a human but my subconscious knowing me to be under attack was shielding me from the pain. So maybe it was working I just couldn't feel it. Eventually, it was like an annoying fly buzzing around inside my head, I knew it was there but it didn't hurt me any longer and the further I went into the change the less I could feel until I was numb, my consciousness locked inside my skull where the pain couldn't reach me. This was great, I would miss out on the torture of the transformation and maybe, just maybe, on the newborn rage and thirst too!

I found myself forgetting where I was and who I was, all I could remember was my name and that something dreadful was happening outside, I was being attacked and the only safe place was here hidden inside my thoughts. I was scared at first, was I going to die? Then I began to feel less frightened as my anger grew, who was attacking me and why? I hadn't done anything so why were others trying to hurt me? Anger turned to rage, how dare they attack me, me who was trapped here in the darkness without water so my throat burned with thirst. When I struggled free of this prison they had incarcerated me in I would show them. I'd rip them to pieces and laugh as I did it, I was stronger, faster and cleverer than anyone else on the planet and I loved that knowledge!

There was a strange sensation as my mind opened just a crack and I knew the pain had gone and I was OK. I also knew there were others around watching me and I was very careful not to give any sign I knew it. Listening I couldn't hear breathing or the sounds that would tell me someone was moving around, whoever was out there was as still and silent as the grave, they may think they had me fooled but I was one step ahead already.

I knew I had to be careful, these others might be armed, they could be the enemy and very slowly I tested the air, allowing in only the slightest amount so no one could see and recognized three distinct scents, a woman, and two men. It didn't occur to me to ask how I could possibly know this, it was enough that I did and it gave me an edge.

Something told me these three were responsible for my being here, they had brought me out here, I could tell we were alone and miles from civilization for all I could hear was the wind and the creatures who called this place home, no traffic, no footsteps and no voices. I knew I didn't need to tense my muscles to move, my body was bursting with energy that fought to get free so I let it take over and found myself crouching at the edge of a rocky plateau with my enemies watching me from their places on the ground. Why hadn't they moved? Didn't they understand how powerful and dangerous I was? I looked from one to the other and understood as I did so that these were not humans, they were like me, they had no heartbeat and their stillness marked them out.

I was ready to attack, they should have left me here after assaulting me but they hadn't and that would prove to be their fatal mistake when the female stood up slowly and spoke,

"Bella? Do you recognize me? It's Charlotte."

A loud snarl erupted from my lips taking me by surprise but I smiled when I saw all three tense, they were afraid of me and that was good, I had no idea who Charlotte was but I guessed she had befriended me to lure me out here so her friends could attack me. Without hesitation, I lunged for her grabbing her by the arm and pulling her savagely into my grasp.

The two guys jumped to their feet but I hissed at them to stand still,

"Come any closer and I'll rip her head off."

I smiled realizing I could and not only that, I wanted to, but as I grabbed her hair in my fist to wrench her head back I caught the scent of something far more interesting, something that had my mouth watering and throwing her casually to one side, over the edge of the plateau to fall onto the rocks below. Something told me she would be fine but I didn't care I just took off in the direction of the scent ready to turn and fight if the guys followed but it seemed either they were more concerned with their friend or I was faster and that idea had me smiling as I ran aware I was much faster than any human, or any animal for that matter and it was wonderful.

The scent drew me on as if a fine wire connected me to its source and was reeling me in the wonderful aroma making my mouth water and my throat sear. I knew instinctively that if I could find the source and drink from it that I could stop the awful burning sensation, quench my terrible thirst but when I saw where it was coming from I stopped, startled. The bighorn sheep had lost its footing and fallen breaking a leg and it was the blood seeping into the ground that I could smell. Without thinking I ran forward and found myself biting into its neck as it struggled feebly before going still as I drained the last of the blood from its body. The searing in my throat had eased a little but I needed more and ran on testing the air for more signs of life.

Darius

Things hadn't gone at all as we had envisaged, Bella had taken us all by surprise and when she took off I left Peter to see to Charlotte while I raced after her. Unfortunately, she was much faster than me and by the time I finally caught up with her she had torn her prey to pieces feeding on it and was hot on the trail of a mountain lion, still it could have been much worse, the big horn could have been a climber or hiker!

I heard the snarl of the big cat and the sounds of a scuffle followed by Bella drinking deeply from its veins. As I approached she dropped the lifeless body and turned on me snarling, her face covered in the lion's blood, she looked like a magnificent Amazon warrior. I tried to speak to her but she snarled again and flew at me hands curved like claws and her teeth snapping at my neck, it was quite a struggle but eventually I pinned her down ready for the attempt at forcing her to recognize me but I never got the chance. I found myself flying through the air although I wasn't sure who looked more surprised, me or her. Whatever it was that had thrown me now held me pinned to the ground as she sprang to her feet and closed in. I really think she would have killed but but something distracted her, the sound of running feet, Peter and Charlotte were close and Bella decided to run rather than fight.

When they joined me I explained what had happened although I wasn't really quite sure myself. Charlotte put it together for us,

"It's Bella's gift, Eleazar said it was powerful and that no one could force her to do anything. You tried to attack her in her eyes and when her fighting skills proved to be poorer than yours her shield kicked in."

Peter whistled appreciatively,

"Now she is gonna be just right for The Major, a real partner in every way."

"That's all very well Peter but how are we gonna teach her control if we can't get anywhere near her? You can't believe how powerful that shield is, I couldn't move, she could have ripped my head off easily and I couldn't have stopped her."

He frowned and looked around,

"We need to find her and make her recognize that we are her friends before she decides the mountains are boring and goes to town for dinner."

"She never wanted to kill humans and I promised her I'd help with that but I'm not sure I can keep that promise, you should have seen her, no wonder Aro decided to use persuasion, she would have pulled Volterra apart stone by stone if he'd managed to imprison her."

"Hey Guys, I think we might have a bigger problem if Bella remembers why she chose to become a vampire there's nothing to stop her heading straight for Italy and The Major."

Peter cursed then shook his head,

"Nah, she might want to but she'll have no idea how to get there, she has no money and by the look of it too little control to get on a plane as a passenger."

"You know that and I know that but I doubt she does, she's not thinking clearly right now and if we don't hunt her down before she reaches civilization she could cause untold damage."

We exchanged concerned glances and headed off once more in the direction Bella had taken praying she wasn't headed back down the mountain for all our sakes.

We were lucky, to a degree anyhow, she had once more been distracted by the scent of prey, this time an elk but that was as far as our luck ran. WE couldn't get close enough to speak to her and when we tried we found ourselves flying through the air usually to hit some hard immovable object at enough speed to cause injury. As we three were human hunters but dare not lead Bella down towards the unsuspecting humans we were forced to survive on animal blood and tried to force her further up the mountains although we had no idea what we were going to do once we reached the summit. We needed help but the only person who might just get through to our crazy charge was locked up in Volterra.

"So? Send him a fucking message before she gets us all killed."

Peter was in a bad mood, Bella had sent him high into the air when he tried to sneak up on her while she was feeding and when he landed a spur of rock had speared his chest. If he'd been feeding on human blood it would have healed immediately but with the weaker animal blood the healing process was slower and Peter hated feeling weak.

"If you don't I'm gonna get myself a fucking nuke and take her out. We've been chasing that bitch around these mountains for over two weeks now and not once have we got close enough to grab hold of her."

"OK I'll try to get word to him but for now we should move Charlotte just radioed to say Bella is headed down again."

He groaned as I gave him a heave up and cursed again as venom dripped to the ground from the wound in his chest,

"I swear Darius if that little bitch tosses me around again I'll burn her ass."

I nodded, we were all getting frustrated now although we knew it wasn't Bella's fault, it was her gift that was proving to be the problem, something none of us had taken into account.


	47. Chapter 47

**Chapter Forty-Seven**

 **Jasper**

I'd almost forgotten about the guard who gave me the message from Darius so long ago but when he walked into my room, a small cell-like square containing only a table, chair and bookshelf, I recognized him immediately. I saw so few other guards, my group of newborns changed from month to month as new recruits arrived and others left, either dead or to begin their new lives in the Volturi guard. There were never more than twenty and sometimes as few as ten but most were useless and didn't last long.

Katie was softer than me, she cared about our charges while to me they were merely soldiers in training and I had no time for any who refused to listen or to learn. We had butted heads a couple of times but as the months passed and I allowed The Major to take over more and more she had found it better to keep her opinions to herself, I knew what I was doing, I'd trained newborns for decades before she was even born, she was a novice and once she accepted that and learned to keep her place the better we got along.

I waited and he gestured for the young man to follow him, nor a recruit but a meal, human blood helped me to forget my life before Volterra and therefore helped me to survive and I found I could even feed without so much anguish if I took control of my meal and stopped him or her from feeling so much fear. As the man stood shivering with fear wide-eyed and watching me I calmed him and the guard handed over a folded piece of notepaper and left.

Having finished my meal I unfolded the note and read the words,

"Major, we have a problem. Bella insisted on becoming a vampire. I put her off as long as I could but we turned her three month's ago and now we can't control her. If the Volturi find out I'm afraid they will try to destroy her and end up losing everything. We need you, ρε."

I cursed crumpling the note in my fist before hurling it to the floor, this was just what I feared might happen. Her gift had indeed been as powerful as Aro thought and now Darius had changed her and she was uncontrollable, he was supposed to help her restart her human life so what the fuck was he doing changing her?

My hands were tied, I had no choice but to explain the situation to Aro and hope he would allow me to leave Volterra and find Bella before she was discovered by the humans, or, if her gift really was that powerful she could easily kill herself unless she learned control and ironically who better to help her than her own mate?

With a sigh of resignation I called Katie and told her she was on her own with the newborns for a while, there were no really dangerous ones at present and she was learning. If she had any problems she could always call on Santiago or Felix for help.

Of course, she was curious but I told her nothing, the fewer people who knew my business the better I liked it.

I found Aro outside in the courtyard with Sulpicia and approached them cautiously, after all, I was in theory still a captive and not a member of the guard.

"Major! Why are you here? Don't you have work to do?"

Aro's voice was cold, I had ruined my relationship with him when I refused to give him what he wanted but perhaps he might feel more inclined to help me once he understood my predicament. I explained as succinctly as I could and waited watching the eagerness flicker in his eyes while Sulpicia was actually smiling.

"So, you are asking me to give you permission to leave Volterra and go help this human girl who has now become a vampire and cannot control herself?"

I nodded,

"I see, then tell me, why is it so important to you? If I recall you were quite adamant that she meant nothing to you."

He was enjoying this and I guess I couldn't really blame him.

"I don't think you want her dead Aro but unless I can help her that's what will happen."

Sulpicia who had been tapping her foot impatiently cut in,

"Just how is it that you know about this? You have no contact with the outside world Major so who is feeding you information?"

Aro touched her arm,

"I don't really think that is very important right now my dear, the fact is that he does know and wants to help. I will, of course, need to clear it with the rest of the council but I think a case could be made under the circumstances,"

Relief flooded through me,

"Thank you, Aro."

"Thank me when you have permission not before and you will be called to speak, I think we can get the members together in an hour don't you my dear?"

Sulpicia gave me a hard look then nodded,

"If you say so Aro, I'll find Athena, you call the others."

Once she was out of earshot Aro put a hand on my shoulder gripping it tightly and pulled me close,

"You could have made things so much easier for both yourself and the girl if you had only told the truth at the outset. Why didn't you?"

I pulled free,

"You know why."

He nodded,

"Yes, you thought I wanted her for her gift and knew I had nothing powerful enough to force her to stay. Actually, I wasn't entirely sure how powerful she was but I didn't want to take any chances. I'm not a monster Major, surely you know that by now. Yes, I admit I wanted her, I was intensely curious but I wanted you to stay with the Volturi too and to be happy. Instead, you have spent all this time profoundly unhappy, fighting the mating pull while your mate found she could not bear to be away from you any longer and so took matters into her own hands and is now struggling to survive. You have a good friend in Darius, I hope you realize that."

I stared at him and he shrugged,

"Major, I have lived for countless centuries and there is very little that escapes my notice. Darius' little helper is safe enough, I know now that Caius is dead that Darius would never do anything to destroy the Volturi so his messages to you were harmless enough. I have also been hunting for his secret location so I could find out what was going on with the girl but he is very good at hiding his tracks, much better than anyone I have here in Volterra. I will see you in an hour in the audience chamber….."

He turned to leave then looked back,

"Oh yes, is Katie capable of continuing without you?"

"With help from Felix or Santiago yes, I think so."

"Good, then if you get your leave it will not stop our newborn program, excellent."

This time he disappeared inside leaving me alone in the courtyard with the afternoon sun and birdsong, two things I had sorely missed while banished to the bowels of the citadel as punishment for my sins.

I packed my belongs which all fit into a rucksack, having decided that even if I didn't get permission I would be leaving and woe betides anyone who tried to stop me and went along to the main chamber only to find the council already in session. They looked up as I entered and Aro beckoned me forward.

"We have discussed your request and as it would be illegal of us to prevent you from going to your mate's aid you have permission to leave Volterra, however, we expect you to return within the year to finish your sentence and it seems you now have no excuse not to bring Bella back with you. She will be far safer here as a newborn than left in the human world. Once your sentence is completed you and she will, of course, be free to leave but we hope you may decide to remain here. You may leave now Major, the jet is waiting at the airport for you ready to leave as soon as you arrive."

I thanked them for this, it had been far easier than I had expected but then Aro and the others of the council had only done what was right, another proof, if one were needed, that the Volturi were not the monsters many nomads believed them to be. I did wonder if I had Carlisle to thank for helping the council see the wisdom of allowing me to leave, he had smiled as I turned to leave but I hadn't returned it, I'd had no idea he was now on the council but it seemed his crime had not been seen as serious as mine.

Heidi drove me to the airport and seemed pleased to see me free once more,

"I could never figure out why you didn't acknowledge your mate but I see now that you were trying to keep her safe and human. It was never going to work you know, the mating pull might be less noticeable in humans but it's still there and eventually, it would have driven her to find you. Do you think you'll be able to teach her control?"

I looked at her startled that she knew so much of my business but she just smiled,

"Oh come on Major, you should know there are no secrets in the Volturi, news travels fast and the news you were to be allowed to leave Volterra went through the guard like wildfire. You may be pleased to know that most of them wish you were back in post, very few think you deserved the punishment you received but they are proud of the way you accepted it. The newborns you have sent on to the guard have been exceptional, even Santiago had to admit that."

I didn't answer her although it felt good to know I still had friends in the guard even if my main concern now was to find Bella and help her learn control before she did something so terrible that she forfeit her life, I wouldn't lose her now she was a vampire.

The flight was long and tedious as I longed to hit the ground running, the very thought of seeing Bella again had me both excited and edgy, would she recognize me for what I was? Or would she be so eaten up with rage or blood-lust that she was blind? Three months wasn't long for a newborn but the fact Darius couldn't control her was worrying, he was clever and strong and I guessed from the word we that he had roped in Peter and Charlotte to help but if her gift was now working and more powerful then even I might have trouble getting through to her. How ironic would it be after disowning her as my mate if she now failed to recognize me for hers?

Darius had sent me a location, another note waiting with the pilot and once on the ground I rented a car and headed for Yellowstone Park. True it was a hugely popular tourist destination but it had some remote wilderness that was just right for someone trying to hide an out of control newborn. I wondered if he had her hunting humans or animals, he was a human hunter but he knew I preferred animal blood and might have tried to push her in the same direction, if so then that was a mistake if she was stubborn and newborns could be extremely focused and violent if they were thwarted in any way. Still, I would soon know and that had me pushing the little car to it's very limit along the highway.


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter Forty Eight**

 **Darius**

I knew that, like me, Peter and Charlotte were praying The Major would find a way to leave Volterra. None of us had expected that looking after a newborn Bella would be easy but this had turned into a nightmare. Not only couldn't we talk any sense into Bella, we couldn't even get close enough to shout at her!

Peter had warned me that newborns were strong and fast but with Bella, you had to add in her gift which made her unmanageable and highly dangerous. I really think if we could have gotten close enough to speak to her so she recognized us things might have been different but she saw us as enemies, a danger, and acted accordingly.

All three of us were heartily sick of being mangled as our bodies came into fierce contact with rock faces and the bottom of deep gullies but we could cope with that. More worrying was that her attack was becoming more and more violent. Charlotte had managed to get a little closer than we had managed so far before Bella spotted her but then everything went crazy, it was as if she conjured up a maelstrom, the wind picked us all up and tossed us around like rag dolls but Charlotte was targeted, the same wind singled her out and smashed her again and again against the face of the mountain until she was like a broken china doll, in pieces.

I thought Peter would try to kill Bella with his bare hands but just in time he realized that Charlotte needed him more. Between us we had helped put her back together and then the two of them had headed back down the mountain to feed. Charlotte needed human blood quickly to heal but it left me alone up here with a fast disintegrating newborn and if The Major didn't get his ass here soon it might be too late.

I'd seen the look in her eyes when she stood there with her hair whipping around her face like Medusa's snakes and the glint of madness I'd spied was real enough. I felt so guilty if only I had stood up to her, refused her mad idea to become a vampire Charlotte would be OK and we wouldn't be praying for a miracle right now.

It had been sheer luck that we had managed to keep her away from humans and up here in the mountains but she had caught a pair of climbers and that had not been a pretty sight, she had lost control and literally ripped them to pieces as she fed. The Major wouldn't be happy that we hadn't managed to keep her from killing humans and I knew she would be devastated by the news if we lived long enough for us to talk to her.

I carried on climbing, Bella seemed to like to stay close to the summit without going down the other side and I was thankful for small mercies. It was all my fault, I had seen something of Sara in Bella and as a result, I had allowed her to manipulate me, I'd felt sorry for her, wanted to help and she had talked me into it. What the hell had made me think I could cope with a newborn? Eleazar had warned us that Bella was powerful, that she could be dangerous yet I had chosen to ignore his words when she begged me to turn her. I couldn't believe how deluded I had been, a human with a gift powerful enough to frighten off Aro Volturi and I had been arrogant enough to think I could control her as a new vampire.

Sure I'd called on Peter and Charlotte for their help and expertise but I should have known better. Now we had a loose cannon, no worse than that, a loose vampire with the power of a nuclear bomb wandering around with no self-control. She could break our cover, show the humans that vampires really existed or kill everyone she met, so far nothing with a heartbeat had been safe from her, she'd gone through the local wildlife like Diana the huntress killing and feeding from every living thing, surely even she must be sated soon?

I froze, I'd lost concentration and there she was on a rocky outcrop opposite, only a narrow but seemingly bottomless chasm between us. I stared at her hoping that by remaining perfectly still I might avoid an attack. Her eyes glowed red with all the blood she had consumed but that crazy light was there too. Her lips were crimson with dried blood and her hair still whipped around her shoulders in rats tails. Her clothes showed the hard wear they had been subjected to, the knees were out of her jeans and her shirt was ripped, one sleeve missing altogether yet she still looked beautiful in her savagery.

"Bella"

Her eyes locked with mine and for a second I thought she recognised my voice but then she snarled at me and crouched ready to attack.

My initial reaction was to turn and run but I sensed if I did so it would only encourage her to attack so I stayed where I was and stared back which seemed to confuse her. I saw her frown and then her lip curled back exposing white teeth and she launched herself at me across the divide. If I stayed where I was I would probably find myself ripped to pieces and if I ran she would be on me in seconds so I did the only thing I could, I leapt to meet her and as we collided I threw my arms around her pinning her hands to her side and let us fall together.

Luckily as she struggled to get free of me she turned and hit the ground first cushioning me, sure vampires were durable but let me tell you, hitting solid rock still hurts and cracks our skin and I'd much rather it was Bella who hit first than me. She screamed in fury and I felt her teeth sink into the muscle of my shoulder,

"Bella quit biting."

She hesitated just long enough for me to break free although I still lost a chunk of flesh and cursed grabbing at the ragged hole she had torn in me with her teeth.

I sprang back as she jumped to her feet eyes blazing with fury and readied herself to attack again. This was getting extremely dangerous for everyone and if The Major didn't reach us soon either one of us or Bella would be taken out.

"Bella, listen to me, you have to stop this before someone gets killed. Try to think, it's me, Darius."

I guess I should have known better than to try and reason with an angry newborn! She didn't spring forward as I expected, instead, she glared at me and then her eyes went blank and something that felt like a Semi-trailer hit me and I went flying back to slam into the rock face of the narrow gully we had fallen into. As I winced and tried to get back to my feet it happened again, and again, and again, and with each blow, I felt myself weaken. There was nothing I could do to protect myself and venom began to leak from the cracks in my flesh from the constant pounding I received, it was like being in a spinner thrown around in a vortex and I wasn't sure how much more of it my body could take.

Then suddenly the whirlwind ceased and I fell to the ground but I could hear a voice and it wasn't Bella's.

"I never saw it go down like this, I knew you'd be trouble but I didn't see this. You have to stop Bella before you kill anyone else."

Pushing myself to my knees I looked up to see two figures standing on a ledge above us. Wiping the dust and venom from my eyes I could finally make them both out,

"Stop now Bella or I'll have to stop you."

Alice Cullen was frowning at Bella watching her closely as if unsure what she might do next and at her side was a stranger, not Garrett her mate, this was another man.

Bella hissed in anger, I wasn't sure she even recognized Alice but she was ready to attack once more.

"Alice, get the hell away from here, it's too dangerous, Bella is out of control."

She addressed me but never took her eyes from Bella,

"I know Darius and that's why I'm here. If Bella can't stop herself then Thana here will."

I stared at her in mute shock, how had she found him? I'd heard the name sure, but I thought he was merely a legend.

"You can't Alice, she's The Major's mate, if you kill her then you kill him too."

Alice turned to me and I could see the sadness in her eyes,

"I know, I only saw it when it was too late, I saw what Bella will do Darius, she'll kill us all, she'll rampage through the humans and expose us and I can't allow that to happen…...if she can't control herself then we have to act."

I turned to Bella who had paused listening to Alice's words,

"Please Bella, listen to her. You don't want The Major to die, you have to control yourself. Remember him, how you felt about him, it's why you wanted to become a vampire."

She glanced in my direction but there was no change in her expression, either she hadn't understood or she just didn't care.

The sound of running footsteps made us all turn and when Bella saw Peter and Charlotte she screamed in rage and the chaos that was her gift exploded outwards picking us all up and tossing us about like leaves caught in a whirlwind. Usually this died down as she calmed a little but this time it only got worse and as rocks, bushes branches, and boulders were added to the mix it was like being caught in a cement truck with everything crashing and smashing together until as suddenly as it began, it stopped, and we all fell to earth hard in a tangle of vampire and rock fragments.

Looking around I could see we had lost Bella but she never strayed far, it was as if she needed to know someone was around and I wondered if this was an attempt to hold back and hope that one of us would be able to get through to her. As we examined the damage to ourselves and the surroundings which were scoured of all vegetation and loose rock Alice and Thanatos joined us.

Peter eyed the newcomers warily, he knew Alice of course but they had this mutual hate society going and he wasn't going to speak first so I did.

"I hate to put a damper on your plans Alice but just how is your friend here going to get his hands on Bella when we can't?"

She sighed,

"I didn't realize just how out of control she was but he only needs the slightest touch, Darius, there must be a way."

"Touch? Who the fuck is he?"

She turned to Peter but there was no snappy reply, no rude answer and she looked genuinely sad.

"This is Thanatos, he's a powerfully gifted vampire, Peter."

Peter stared at him and then held out a hand,

"So, you're gonna calm our wild beast are you?"

Thanatos looked at the outstretched hand and shook his head,

"Trust me, you don't want to shake my hand."

Peter frowned but Charlotte's eyes were wide with shock, she too had recognized the name,

"Oh my God! No, Alice, you can't, what about The Major? You know what will happen if she dies."

Peter turned to me,

"Care to let me in on the secret Darius, everyone seems to know this Thintos except me."

While Charlotte spoke earnestly to Alice and her friend I filled Peter in,

"It's Thanatos, he's named after the Greek god of peaceful death…."

"As opposed to what? Painful, excruciating death?"

I ignored his interruption,

"Thanatos was a Greek god who only had to touch you and you died peacefully rather than in battle. This vampire has the same gift, I heard of him, vague rumors only but it seems Alice managed to find him."

"And she plans on using this freak to kill Bella? What about The Major or doesn't she care he'll die too? Maybe that's what all this was about, the evil pixie saw The Major finding his mate and kicking her skinny ass into touch and she set this up so she could watch him die, ever thought about that?"

I hadn't but I doubted anyone except Peter with his warped mind would have done!

"Well, it's not gonna happen if I have to rip Thanet's arms off and fucking torch them."

I was about to point out to him how impossible that would be when we heard a high pitched scream in the distance and began to run.


	49. Chapter 49

****Chapter Forty Nine****

 **Jasper**

There was no one where I expected to find Darius and Bella but it looked like there had been a battle recently with bushes and boulders scattered around so it was likely they had been here recently and I let the pull guide me, excited at the thought of being reunited with my mate at last. It was strange but from the moment I left Volterra The Major had faded into the background as if aware he was no longer needed and even my thirst for human blood subsided although I doubted it would be as easy as that to wean myself back off it. At least I now knew I could control it instead of allowing it to control me and if I had to continue drinking it having Bella at my side would make it easier.

I was worried about her though, being a newborn was hard enough but being an out of control newborn with a powerful gift must be terrifying. She needed me and I was anxious to find her. The closer I got the steadier and calmer I became until the silence was broken by a high pitched scream of pain and terror and I broke into a run knowing instinctively that the sound came from the direction of my mate although it wouldn't have been her making such a terrible noise.

As I crashed through the undergrowth into a bare rocky outcrop I could see that the noise had come from the lifeless broken human body that lay at Bella's feet drained of blood. I wasn't the first to reach her though, I recognized Alice and Darius but discarded them as being no danger. The one that concerned me was the stranger who stretched out a hand as if to grasp Bella's arm having taken her by surprise during her latest kill.

"Major quick, it's Thanatos."

Darius words registered and I leaped forward knocking the stranger away from Bella and grabbed her arm to drag her quickly away, or at least that was the plan but as I touched her she twisted around and screamed throwing me backward with the force of a twister and that's just what erupted seconds later.

Everything not nailed down was picked up from the ground and tossed around by a wind so strong it couldn't be fought and in the center with her hair whipping around her face smiling in triumph was my mate. So this was her gift, well it was certainly powerful and controlled it would be awesome but right now it was just plain deadly. I heard the sounds of vampire flesh hitting solid rock and heard the shouts of those like me going through the meat grinder. No wonder Darius and Peter hadn't been able to control Bella, they couldn't get close enough, but I had to before she killed any more humans. The girl I knew would have been devastated to realize she was now a killer and it was down to me to make sure she didn't kill again however hard that might be.

I decided to bank on her having the same reaction to me as I had to her and grabbing a huge boulder that had so far resisted the wind I pulled myself across the outcrop until I was sheltered from the destructive wind and began to move away. The stranger Thanatos was also sheltering and I stopped to warn him,

"I know what you can do but that's my mate and I will stop her. If you try to get between us I'll take you down, killer touch or not."

He glanced back to where the boulders and bushes continued to twist and smash together in the maelstrom and nodded,

"Rather you than me Major. Alice asked for my help to stop a dangerous newborn and I for one have no wish for our species to be wiped out by the humans or a freak but I sense this woman is not evil just in torment and despite my reputation I do not enjoy killing."

"Then we're on the same page I guess. I'm going to lure her away from the others. When it quietens down tell them to leave her to me. I'll be in touch when it's safe."

He nodded,

"Fair enough but I would ask you a favor in return Major, Aro thinks me a figment of the imagination, a myth, and I would prefer it to stay like that."

I nodded,

"I never saw you and I'm sure the others will be happy to agree, as for Alice, well that's between the two of you."

"Oh, I can trust Alice, her mate Garrett and I go back a long way."

He turned and headed back to the others keeping out of the path Bella would take if my gamble paid off.

It wasn't long before I heard the commotion slow down and then footsteps as Bella came after me. I headed straight up, I wanted to put as much distance between my friends and this goddess of destruction as I could before I turned to face her and hoped that she would recognize me for her mate.

When I reached one of the highest peaks I finally stopped and waited eagerly to see her despite the fact she might just shove me over the edge to land thousands of feet below on a rocky ledge. When she finally appeared it was silently and cat-like and she stood ready to flee at the slightest sign of danger but at least she hadn't come ready to fight. I let her stand to look around and then at me for a few minutes before I spoke hoping not to spook her.

"Bella? It's me, Jasper, do you remember me?"

She flinched hearing my voice and tensed ready to attack or flee, her emotions were a mess and I could understand that, there was nothing for her to hold on to, she didn't recognise herself let alone anyone else nor did she understand her new body, her heightened senses, everything was alien and frightening and I needed to give her something familiar to hold onto.

"Do you remember me? How I helped you when the Volturi were hunting you? You can trust me, Bella, I would never hurt you and I won't let anyone else. It must be frightening right now, let me help."

I stretched out a hand which turned out to be a bad move, she took it as a threat and pounced knocking me to the ground and sinking her teeth into my shoulder attempting to get a good enough grip to rip my throat out. She was full of fear and rage and though I tried to calm her it was difficult while I was also attempting to keep my head on my shoulders!

The tearing sensation as she pulled free a good chunk of my neck was pretty horrible and I pulled back trying to stay out of range of those teeth. I was just thankful she wasn't using her gift although I did wonder if that was because she recognized that I wasn't really a threat to her subconsciously.

Putting a hand up to stem the flow of venom from the gaping wound in my neck I grasped her hand and held it tightly,

"Bella, it's me, Jasper, remember, I love you so please, talk to me."

Something shifted in her eyes and I relaxed slightly only to find myself flat on my back with her hands twisting my neck as she prepared to rip it off.

"Bella please think, I love you and I know you love me, it's why you became a vampire isn't it?"

The terrible pressure on my neck increased as I spoke then suddenly it was gone and as I lay back relieved the attack had stopped I heard her whisper my name and then let out a long howl of pain.

Staggering to my feet weak from loss of venom I looked at her, she was on her knees with her arms wrapped around her body rocking back and forth. I moved slowly to join her partly because I feared another violent outburst but she didn't react she was too wrapped up in her own pain.

Sinking to my knees beside her I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and pulled her close relieved to be touching her but concerned at the intensity of her pain that was crashing against me. She stiffened but didn't pull away and we knelt there together as the sun set turning our surroundings to blacks and greys that suited her mood far better than the brightness of day had done.

When she finally pulled away everything was illuminated by the soft silver glow of the moon and I tried to lift her head to see her expression but she jerked away, not in anger but in shame and getting slowly to her feet she stared down at her hands still stained with the blood of the climber she had killed just before I arrived then tried to wipe the gore onto her jeans but it was dry, only water would wash it away.

"Bella?"

She finally looked up but her eyes were twin pools of pain and self-loathing,

"I killed him, I killed all of them and….."

She sank back to her knees hiding her face in her hands,

"I liked it, I enjoyed the attack, the feel of my teeth slicing into soft human flesh and the taste of the warm salty blood in my mouth. I…..I'm a monster. Darius was right, I should never have made him change me, I can't cope with this…..I'm a killer Jasper."

Her voice choked off at this point and I went to comfort her but she pushed me away,

"Don't, I don't deserve to feel better, I killed innocent people. I thought it would be so easy and instead, I took human lives and I want to do it again. I can feel the thirst inside building up again, a small voice whispering in my head telling me how good it would be to hunt again."

Her voice trailed off and I understood how devastated she felt, she remembered every death she had caused and each one now tortured her.

"I'll help you, Bella, you can get over this, every newborn has to learn how to control their rage and thirst, blood controls you at first. Darius and Peter didn't stand a chance of helping you, not with your gift."

She shook her head,

"I don't want this Jasper, I don't want to be a monster, I can't live with myself remembering the people I killed. It's all my fault, Darius tried to warn me but I just wouldn't listen and now it's too late. Look at me, I tried to kill him, I tried to kill you and I love you. I'll never learn to control myself, I can't shut out that voice, it's whispering to me now and the louder it gets the more difficult it is to ignore."

"I know but I promise you I'll help and I won't let you kill anyone else."

She looked up at me and looked so tragic I pulled her into my arms again,

"I am so sorry Bella, I was stupid to think I could keep you safe by denying my feelings for you. This is my fault, not yours so please let me put it right."

She swallowed hard then whispered low in my ear,

"How can you? Can you bring back the dead? Can you turn me back into a human? I don't think I can go on like this, feeling all this rage and hatred, wanting to feed on people or animals, I ripped them to pieces, Jasper, is that normal?"

I couldn't lie to her,

"No, it's not normal but then neither are you, newborns need guidance and no one could guide you, you kept them away but I'll help you, I can because I love you and now you recognize that you love me too you won't fight me. We will get through this."

"I want to believe you, I really do and I do love you but I'm so afraid Jasper, how can you make it look so simple? You all make it look as if being a vampire is simple."

"It gets easier with time Bella, don't forget I've been a vampire for more than a century, Darius for many centuries, Carlisle too."

She looked into my eyes hers filled with sadness,

"I don't think I'll make it that long Jasper, right now all I want to do is die."


	50. Chapter 50

****Chapter Fifty****

 **Bella**

I could hardly bear to be alive after all I had done, I felt sick and dirty, just like the monster I had become. Jasper was here now full of promises but he didn't understand, how could he change what had happened? The people I had killed in such a horrific way were dead and nothing would ever bring them back to life, loved ones would be told they had died of falls or wild animal attacks but I knew the truth, I had ripped them to pieces and drunk their blood reveling in it. The worst thing was that I knew it would happen again, even now I could feel rage simmering below the surface as the burn in my throat began to build up again, would I never be free of the thirst that drove me crazy, that drove me to kill. What had made me think I could become a vampire and ignore the most basic urges of the species, the urge to quench their thirst and feed? Sure I had this powerful gift but all I had done with it was to harm those who tried to help me, what was so great about that?

I wanted to run and keep running until I could run no more but where would I go? I was immortal now and I craved blood to survive, I was a danger to any human I came into contact with and running would only make, e more thirsty. I was dangerous, not only to humans but to my own kind too, I had already hurt Darius, Peter, and Charlotte who had only been trying to help me but worse than that I had attacked Jasper, the man I loved and for whom I had given up my human life. I could see the ugly wound only now beginning to close on his neck, the venom that stained his collar and felt so guilty. How could I stay with the man I loved if I was going to attack him when I got angry or thirsty? Could he really help me? I wanted to believe him so much but how could I?

 **Jasper**

I could feel Bella's misery and wished with all my heart I could turn her back to human and end her pain but that wasn't possible so all I could do was to stay at her side and help her through the next few difficult month's or years and prevent her from killing anyone else if that was possible. I could help with her emotions and show her how much I loved her but I also had to consider the Volturi. I still had my sentence to finish and Aro hadn't allowed me to leave permanently. I did wonder if Volterra might not be the safest place for Bella to learn control. There were plenty of other gifted vampire's who could help her understand her own gift and lots of eyes to make sure she didn't start snacking on the townsfolk. Aro wouldn't be able to control her but he might be willing to help me do so but it was Bella's choice, she had so little control over herself and her life now that to take away another choice would be too cruel.

For the next few days, we talked almost non-stop, I told her about my own transformation and the trouble I had in controlling myself, especially as my gift meant being a vampire was torture at times. I expected this to help her, show her she wasn't alone but the only thing that stuck in her mind was my relationship with Maria, my mate was jealous and add that to her gift and you get a potentially dangerous situation. She lost it which couldn't be helped but once she calmed down and realized what she had done she was mortified even when I explained that vampires were quick healers. Of course, I didn't heal as fast as I would have liked but then I hadn't fed in a while and my only choice up here was animal blood, like giving a drunk cold water when he longed for whiskey.

I explained the problem, my thirst at least and we went hunting together which made it easier for her once she understood I wasn't going to take her prey from her. Calming her when the rage began to build helped her to control it better although we both understood that without my help she was potentially lethal. Hunting while not full of rage meant she could take her time, pick her prey and stalk it, far easier and cleaner than the mess an enraged vampire caused.

"It's not so horrific when it's over and I can still recognize what I was feeding on. Before when I'd finished I was surrounded sometimes even covered in blood and…...well you know, and that made me feel sick, I hated myself for what I'd done."

I pulled her close and kissed her,

"See, things will get better I promise you."

Up to this point, Bella hadn't shown any signs of the mating pull except that I could get close to her and we could talk but suddenly I felt a spike in her emotions and we were both on the ground Bella above me kissing me hungrily and ripping at my shirt. While I had no problem with this I knew that left to her own devices she would feel nothing but shame afterward, what girl didn't want to be loved and to make love gently and with emotion. If I allowed her to set the pace so we made love it would later embarrass her because as her emotions spiralled out of control she would quite probably hurt me and feel guilty afterwards, besides she wanted such things as a woman not as an out of control savage vampire, she was still my sweet Bella deep down inside so I fought her off while calming her emotions as best I could. Unfortunately the vampire in her felt angry and frustrated and as a result, I got several nasty bites to my arms and neck nothing new for me but again something Bella would feel guilty about once she calmed down.

I was right and the emotions crashed down on her as soon as she realized what she had done. I tried to explain there was nothing to feel guilty about, that she was still learning control but somehow that didn't help.

"How can it be OK, Jasper? I wanted you so much but I hurt you again, that's not OK so stop telling me it is. I'm a monster and you're making excuses for me, this isn't how I thought it would be, I don't want to feel how I do right now, I don't want to be a killer or someone who hurts those she loves. I don't think I'll ever learn to control myself and I'm scared I'm going to kill you. I wish I'd listened to Darius or Peter, I wish it hadn't worked, that I'd died."

I pulled her into my arms and held her tight as she dry sobbed her whole body shaking with emotion. Bella was a wreck, she needed some stability in her life, something familiar to hold onto.

"Bella, I want you to come back to Volterra with me, to be my mate in every sense, we can make a home there and you'll find friends who understand what you're going through. Having a home will help, somewhere you can hide if things get too much for you and me at your side."

She pulled back and stared at me for a moment before nodding,

"Having somewhere to call home would be good but you never wanted me to go back to Volterra."  
"No but that's when I wanted you to stay human and find happiness in your own world, things are different now."

She sighed,

"You think I should have listened to you, don't you?"

I smiled at her and drew her in to kiss her forehead,

"No, I'm glad you didn't because it means I get to have you for eternity. I tried to be selfless when it came to you Bella, I knew what you were, knew I loved you more than anything and wanted you at my side but I also knew that becoming a vampire was hard, I knew all you would be forced to go through and I never wanted that for you. It's the only reason I wanted you to stay at home with your friends and with all that you knew and understood. I refused to acknowledge you in Volterra to keep you safe but I missed you, I wanted you so badly it hurt and now…...now I have you and I'm going to do whatever it takes to get you through all this. You're strong Bella and determined and you can do it, you just need some help so let me help you, let me take you home, please?"

She shuddered looking down at her hands once more as if she could still see the blood that had stained them then nodded,

"You promise?"

"I do."

"You won't let me lose control again?"

"No, I won't."

She tried to smile but it was a poor representation of the warm smile I had seen on her face in the past and I felt her pain once more but as I took her hand and guided her down the mountain she relaxed a little. All I had to do now was to persuade Aro I could control her and try my hardest to make her safe and happy.

 **Bella**

We went back down the mountain Jasper trying to persuade me that I'd had some control even before he found me,

"You stayed at the summit so you didn't put humans in danger Bella, that shows a strength of will."

I nodded although the fact didn't help me feel any better, I may not have massacred an entire town but I was still responsible for human deaths, men who should have been safe from all but a fall or a rock slide instead died at my hands to provide me with a meal.

As we reached the road I tensed again knowing that soon I would be surrounded by humans and the scent of their blood would be calling to me.

"Bella listen to me, I won't let you hurt anyone. We fed before we got here and I will ensure your emotions remain stable, OK?"

I nodded even though I wasn't sure he would be able too, I wanted to believe him so much.

In the car it was easier, I felt more comfortable with the metal and glass between me and my prey and the exhaust fumes stopped me thinking about blood. We had pulled up in a motel parking lot before I realized and Jasper took my hand.

"Stay here while I get a room and then while you clean up I'll get you some fresh clothes."

I looked at him and smiled, the first since I woke to my new life,

"I think you should take a look at yourself first."

He looked down and grinned ruefully,

"I guess so but at least I can hide some of it."

He pulled on his jacket and got out leaving me alone in the car looking around me uneasily. What would I do if I saw someone? If some innocent human walked across the parking lot? Would I be able to control my urge to hunt? To kill?

I was relieved when Jasper reappeared and drove to the far end of the row of rooms and once inside I felt myself relax once more.

"Take your time, shower and relax, I'll be as quick as I can but don't answer the door to anyone if you aren't sure you can control yourself, OK?"

"Sure, you take the key, lock me in."

"Trust me, Bella, a door won't stop a vampire but if it'll make you feel better then sure."

He leaned in and kissed me before leaving and only when I heard the key turn in the lock did I go through to the bathroom eager for a shower to wash away any remnants of my time on the mountains although I knew nothing could clean the blood from my hands or the terrible memories that plagued me.

 **Sorry folks but I'm going to be out of action for two weeks. Promise to post again as soon as I can. Love Jules xx**


	51. Chapter 51

**Chapter Fifty One**

 **Alice**

I had known coming here with Thanos was dangerous but after what I had seen I could hardly do nothing, after all, it was my fault. I had seen danger ahead, a danger that came from Bella but I hadn't been able to tell what the danger would be. No one would believe me if I were to say I hadn't seen that Jazz was Bella's mate but really I hadn't., all I wanted was to keep my family safe, the rest had been down to Carlisle, or was that just a way out of taking responsibility? After all, if I hadn't told Carlisle of my concerns he wouldn't have involved his "friend" and we might still be together as the Cullen family instead of scattered around the planet hardly even in contact. All my intervention had done was to make things infinitely worse for us and for poor Bella.

Bringing Thanos here to stop things from spiraling totally out of control was probably a mistake too, every move I made only worsened the situation but Bella's death was preferable to losing everyone I loved and putting our whole world in jeopardy. I'd run into him while I was traveling alone before I saw Jasper, my savior. He was a sweet, kind person cursed with a deadly gift that meant little chance of a mate or even friendship, after all, who wanted to travel with someone who could kill you with a simple caress. I knew he had found a way to live with his gift over the centuries, by wearing thick gloves he was no danger to others but to never have intimate contact with another being must be miserable.

When I saw what was happening with Bella and told Garrett I discovered he already knew something of the situation, my sweet boy had tried to protect me by hiding me away from the Volturi and he was furious when I told him that I had to do something, to attempt to put things right.

"Don't you understand? I'm the one who set this all in motion when I told Carlisle of the vision I had. It's all my fault and I have to do something to put it right. Bella is going to betray our existence to the humans and kill countless people if I just sit back and do nothing. She's going to destroy everything and I won't let her do that, I can't Garrett."

"Alice what can you do? You've just told me that Peter and Darius can't control her so what makes you think you can do any better? Why don't you just stay here where you're safe?"

"And watch our world fall around me? How could I do that and live with myself?"

He was even more unhappy when I told him how I planned on stopping Bella,

"Alice, listen to yourself for a moment. You did all you could to prevent trouble and now you intend taking the most dangerous vampire in creation on a road trip to try and salvage the situation. This isn't your fault, none of it is. Having your particular gift does not obligate you to fix everything you see go wrong and I for one have no intention of seeing you throw your life away attempting it. I love you, Alice, I won't lose you on some foolhardy crusade."

I touched his cheek with my hand, I loved this man so much,

"Thank you, Garrett, for caring, for loving me so much you are willing to go to any lengths to keep me safe but I have to do this or we have no future, none of us do."

"Why you though? Why can't this Thanos go alone if he's unstoppable?"

"Would you ask a friend to walk into a dangerous situation without you? Thanos would probably survive but not before Jasper and the others tried their damnedest to protect Bella and that would mean even more deaths, no my love, I have to do this but I'll be back, I promise you."

He pulled me close and crushed me to his chest,

"Do you really think I would let you go alone? We're in this together and we stay together."

I nodded knowing I couldn't change his mind but I did insist he wait for us at the bottom of the mountain,

"If you're in danger I won't be able to see clearly and I need my wits about me, you have to promise me, Garrett."

He did but I knew he wouldn't be able to stay out of a fight so I made sure when we arrived at our destination that I gave him the slip before I met up with Thanos, if everything else went to hell, at least I knew Garrett would be safe.

In the event it hadn't come down to killing Bella which was a relief, I had underestimated Jasper and not for the first time. He and Bella we're mates and he would get through to her, he had just left it until the very last moment to make his appearance. All that was left was to make my peace with Garrett but I now had all the time in the world to do so and to spend with my one true love. Of course, it wasn't going to be easy, he would be furious with me for abandoning him but as Emmett always said,

"Fighting may be hell on earth, but making up? That's pure heaven."

 **Aro**

I hadn't expected to hear from The Major so soon but I was pleased he had kept to his word and when I learned that he was planning on bringing Bella back with him I couldn't help a smile, poor boy, after all, he had done trying to protect her and now, she was a vampire and the only place safe for her was here with us.

"It's going to take me a few days to calm her sufficiently to fly back and Aro, I warn you, she's dangerous."

"Really? Well, Major aren't all vampire's dangerous, it's in our nature but I assume you mean something more specific."

He explained to me how powerful Bella's gift, her shield was, and how difficult she was finding it to control her powers.

"Well, I'm sure that between us we can show her and at least here she will not be a danger to our kind or humans. I take it she is hunting them at the moment?"

It seemed Bella was hunting more or less anything that moved in her field of vision, she sounded like a typical newborn but with an added kick and I couldn't wait to meet her.

"I want your word that you won't use Chelsea or any other gift on her Aro. I can teach her control along with the other newborns if I still have my position. She trusts me and I want to keep it that way, everything around her has crumbled to dust, she needs to feel she's safe, somewhere she can call home."

"But of course Major, that's all I ever wanted for your mate, perhaps if you had been a little less stubborn and hard-headed she may not be in her present predicament but I guess that is water under the bridge. Just call when you feel she is ready and I'll have the jet fly over to pick you up, it will be less hazardous for everyone that way."

When he rang off I sighed in exasperation, why did everyone always think that the Volturi were the enemy? Perhaps in the past we may have acted a little too quickly, rashly even, but that was in the early days while we were still building up our power base, putting our stamp on things and reminding everyone in our world that we were the new rulers and would not stand for any disloyalty or, more importantly, dangerous activities. Still, a little of that reputation never went amiss and made any nomads stop and think before breaking any of our laws.

When I gave the good news to the rest of the council their reactions were mixed, Marcus seemed interested but then I knew he wanted to see the relationship that had cost The Major so much while the girl's, Athena and Sulpicia, were slightly less than thrilled but then they saw any new female as something of a threat, like women the world over they feared losing their status as the most beautiful and powerful in any society.

When I called a meeting of the senior guard and explained the situation things were much more unified, Felix and Jane were both relieved that I hadn't gone soft on The Major and were keen to meet his mate. What they were not so happy about was my decision to put him back in charge as a commander of the guard.

"What about his punishment? You're just going to forget about everything he did?"

"No Jane, I am not going to forget anything but he is a natural born commander of men and I feel he is wasted on training newborns, Katie seems to be handling them perfectly well with a little help from Santiago."

"So he's just going to get his old job back? What about his mate? She sounds dangerous, do you think Katie can handle her? Do you think any of us can? You have no idea, you could be bringing destruction back to Volterra."

I looked at Jane through narrowed eyes,

"If you feel I am no longer able to rule our world then please say so, show me your proof and tell me what you think I should do."

Jane glared at me, she had spirit this one, it was something I had always admired about her.

"I didn't say that I just think you are so interested in this Bella Swan that you forget how much damage she might do here. Do you really think that allowing The Major's mate to come to Volterra while still out of control is a good idea, Aro?"

"If I didn't I would not have offered her sanctuary here, just as I offered it to you and Alec centuries ago. Do you think Bella is more dangerous than the two of you were then?"

She shook her head but I could see she wasn't happy, Jane hated the thought of anyone else being more powerful than Alec and herself but this time she would just have to live with it and I told her so.

"Aro, you said you are giving The Major back his command position so he will no longer be training newborns, what happens to Bella? Are you sure Katie can handle her?"

"No Felix, I'm sure she can't, which is why I am allowing The Major all the time he needs to teach her control. In the meantime, I leave the running of the guard in your capable hands and if there are no more questions I think Heidi is returning with dinner and it would be incredibly rude to keep her or our dinner guests waiting."

I turned and walked out followed by the others, Jane might have more questions but she knew the subject was now closed which meant she would just have to accept my decisions whatever her true feelings might be.

What I hadn't told them, in fact, I hadn't told anyone except Sulpicia yet was that I had heard rumors concerning a rather special vampire, one who was sure I had thought him a mere legend. Thanatos thought I knew of him only as a myth, a misapprehension I had been only too willing to foster. It was so much easier to keep an eye on someone if they thought you didn't know of their existence, something I had learned at a very early age.

The fact that Alice Cullen knew of his existence was interesting but of no importance to me, she had refused my offer to join the Volturi and so long as she continued to live within our laws that was good enough. I wondered what the reaction would be if every vampire who thought they had a secret knew how few of them were secrets from the Volturi. It never hurt to allow people to think they knew something you didn't, so long as they were wrong, intelligence was the very heart of good governance, it was why the Volturi were still in control of our world after centuries, there was nothing of any importance that escaped our notice.


	52. Chapter 52

**Chapter Fifty Two**

 **Bella**

I felt so much better for a shower although I was terrified someone might come to the door, I was sure if they did I wouldn't be able to control my thirst, not with Jasper gone. While he had been at my side I felt calmer and able to control myself, the first time I had felt this way since I woke up. The strange thing was that although I had done some terrible things and still felt as if I were standing on the very edge of a sheer drop if I were asked if I would take it all back and become human once more my answer would be an emphatic no. I had gone through all of this to be with Jasper and he had sacrificed so much for love of me, why on earth would I turn my back on all that? If on the other hand I had known just how terrible it was going to be I might have waited for Jasper to help me but then I couldn't, could I? My thoughts we're just so jumbled and when that happened I got stressed and then bad things happened.

I began to panic, I was in the middle of a town with innocent humans all around me all filled with the one thing I craved above all else, blood. Where was Jasper? Why hadn't he come back? I even began to think that maybe he had abandoned me and I felt my rage begin to grow when there was a soft knock on the door and a wonderful peace settled around me, it was Jasper, he was back!

As soon as the door opened I fell into his arms feeling safe once more as he embraced me.

"Hush, it's OK Bella, I'm here and I won't let you lose control again."

I looked up into his face,

"Promise?"

He nodded and smoothed my damp hair back from my face,

"Yes, I promise darlin'"

He handed me a bag with some new clothes and I pulled them on gratefully, they helped me to feel more human, less the terrible monster I had felt myself to be ever since I opened my eyes as a vampire.

"Will you be OK if I shower? You can come talk to me if you like."

I followed him into the bathroom suddenly guilty that I might have used all the hot water and clean towels but he took my hand,

"Bella, just relax. There's nothing you need worry about now."

He sat me down on the counter top then began undressing and I watched mesmerized. He was so beautiful despite the terrible scars that were revealed and I winced as I saw the freshest, the ones I had been responsible for and guilt almost overwhelmed me but he turned and smiled reassuringly.

"They'll heal, but these scars are special, they aren't marks of violence like the others."

I jumped down and walked slowly to him laying a hand on his cool firm skin and tracing some of the oldest scars.

"How can you say that? I attacked you, I bit you."

"You were trying to mark me as your mate but as a newborn, you don't have enough control, that's all. Don't feel guilty, there's no need, Bella."

I stepped back as he dropped his clothes to the floor and stepped into the shower his magnificent body hidden from me by spray and stream. It hadn't occurred to me to be embarrassed at the sight of him naked, that seemed the most natural thing in the world and suddenly it was very important to me to be able to see him. Without thinking I hurriedly undressed again and joined him sighing with pleasure as he opened his arms to me once more in welcome.

At first I was content to be held but then my body began to react to his in ways that scared me, I felt a hunger like nothing else, even more powerful than my longing for blood, I wanted my mate in the worst possible way and without stopping to think if this was right or even the time for such things I began to kiss him and run my hands up and down his soap-slicked skin pushing my naked body against his and groaning.

This was crazy, I didn't know what I was doing, I had little experience of sex and none of the raw desire that I felt right now but I needn't have worried, Jasper took control, he knew exactly what to do and I found myself in his arms and then on the bed still dripping wet but that no longer mattered, nothing mattered except feeling him inside me and becoming truly one at last.

My desire overwhelmed me and everything was a delicious blur as we made love, I did my best to control my actions but I know I dug my nails into his back and bit him yet again unable to help myself. Would it always be like this? Would becoming a vampire mean I had two different but equally strong hungers to control? The blood lust had been a terrible thing but this was different, this was the most wonderful thing in the world and I cried out in relief when we finally climaxed together.

Laying in his arms afterward I felt truly at peace and in control although I wasn't foolish enough to think it would last, I was still a dangerously out of control killer only hanging on because my mate was with me.

"Is this what it's supposed to feel like? Being a vampire I mean? I think about the Cullen's, Edward, Carlisle, even Emmett and I don't remember any feelings of fear or danger around them, does this calmness come in time?"

"No Bella, this calmness is being with your mate, a special feeling like no other."

"Then how did you all cope in school and around humans? How did Carlisle work in a hospital surrounded by humans and the scent of blood without rampaging through the building slaughtering everyone in sight? I don't understand Jasper."

He sighed and kissed the top of my head,

"Carlisle makes it look easy, he's the glue that holds the others together, they feel the same thirst you do and the same rage, the yearning to kill to feed, they have merely learned to fight it successfully but it's not easy and almost everyone has fallen off Carlisle's wagon at least once. Emmett killed several women over the years, Edward left Carlisle for years and went on a killing spree, Esme would have killed her abusive husband if Carlisle hadn't intervened, Alice killed when she escaped the mental asylum, even Rose has killed, she tracked down and killed every one of the men who attacked her but to her credit she never fed on any of them, she said it would feel like being raped all over again to drink their blood. If anyone ever tells you that being a vampire and living in contact with humans is easy they are lying, it's incredibly hard and you need a reason to do so. Most vampire's see humans only like humans see cattle and sheep, as a food source, those of us who make a life among the humans are few and sometimes even I question if it's worth it."

I sat up on one elbow to look down on him,

"You mean these feelings never go away? Not even when you learn control? I…..I'm not sure I can do that Jasper. I scare myself because I can do such terrible things. If I can't learn to be calm and controlled then I'm like a live bomb walking around that could go off at any moment."

"You won't, I'll help you and everyone in Volterra will help too. I spoke to Aro and he's happy to offer you a home there with me. I'll have all the time in the world to teach you."

"If I stay with you then you can keep me calm, I need never feel the rage anymore, I'll be safe."

I said it in hopes but he shook his head,

"You have to learn to control your own emotions, Bella, because there may come a time that I'm not at your side, what would happen then? It's hard and daunting I know but you will get there in the end."

I didn't like the thought of being alone but I guess it was true, Jasper couldn't be my minder for the rest of eternity, I had to be able to control my rage and my gift by myself.

I traced a line down his chest with my index finger smiling when he shuddered with delight.

"When do we have to leave? I mean I couldn't trust myself locked in a tin can with hundreds of humans for hours, I'd kill everyone and probably bring the plane down too."

"No, you wouldn't but it's a moot point anyway, Aro is sending the Volturi jet for us as soon as you're ready, there's no pressure and I see no reason to rush. We could spend a few days relaxing first if you want that is?"

I pounced on him.

"Oh, I want."

And that was our last conversation for some hours.

It was wonderful to finally be reunited with Jasper and to know that we would be together for all eternity. I enjoyed the feeling of peace and control I had thought I might never feel but slowly it began to be pushed aside by other feelings. I found myself edgy, impatient and my throat began to burn, the thirst was back, the craving for blood and with it the rage which prickled at the edges of my mind.

"Bella, it's OK, I know what you're feeling."

"But why? I was so happy, I don't want to feel like this again, it's not fair."

I sounded like a sulky child but then I felt like one too.

"It's going to be OK I promise you, we'll hunt together."

That sounded interesting and I nodded,

"Now?"

"Sure, we'll drive out into the countryside and find ourselves some deer."

The smile left my face, I'd tried deer blood and found it a poor substitute for the real thing but I wanted to try, I didn't want to become the monster again so I followed him out to the car and gazed out the window until he parked up close to some woods and turned to me,

"Ready for some fun?"

I nodded although a small voice inside grumbled it wasn't going to be fun at all.

I followed him looking around in the gloom of the trees for prey, I could smell the scent of deer, rodents, and snakes but nothing that called to me the way human blood did.

"Here, this way."

Jasper caught my hand and pulled me into the undergrowth with a finger to his lips then motioned to the trail we had just traversed. I peered out and saw three deer step cautiously into view, their heads turning this way and that testing the air. They didn't seem to recognize our scent as dangerous and started forward straight towards us.

Jasper waited until the last one had passed our hiding place then made his move catching it expertly and offering it to me. I took it biting into its warm soft flesh and draining its blood greedily while he caught the next and began to feed too. My deer was dead and I was still thirsty and unconsciously threw myself at Jasper snatching his meal from him and snarling a warning as he resisted my attack.

We ended up rolling over on the ground and then the rage got away from me and my gift kicked in. He flew backward against a tree taking it down under his weight and I drained his deer then threw it at him too taking the trail the third deer had trying to escape from danger. I had almost caught up to it when I felt a hand on my neck and turned eyes blazing to see Jasper, he was keeping me from my prey, he wanted the deer, the deer that was mine but he wouldn't get it. Again he flew through the air but this time much further and the crack as he hit a boulder that stuck out from the ground was good. I grinned and took my prize, the final deer although even when I finished draining it I could still feel the annoying burn in my throat, I needed more.

I heard sounds up ahead and stiffened recognizing human voices! Smiling I moved forward cautiously,

"Did you hear that? I thought you said we were just gonna shoot us a couple a deer Jim."

"It was a tree, there's lots a old ones around here, they fall all the time."

"Didn't sound like no tree fallin' to me."

"You afraid Greg? Worried some wild cat might jump out on ya?"

"Shit no, I ain't afraid a no wildcat."

My smile broadened, really? Well, let's see.

The two men barely had time to whirl around before I had the one called Greg up in a tree my teeth at his throat ripping into the soft flesh and drinking in the warm salty blood that I knew would ease my thirst and my rage.

"Greg?"

The other man sounded scared and I heard him cock his rifle but that didn't scare me and I dropped from the tree to stand before him, the limp body of his dead friend at my feet.

"Hello, Jim."

He jumped then raised his rifle and fired, the bullet missing me by inches in his shaking hands.

"Now that's not very neighborly shooting at a defenseless woman but I'm in a good mood so I'll give you to a count of five to run."

He dropped his rifle and ran but of course I cheated, I counted real fast and then went after him and I would have caught him, drained him too, but I was beaten to it by Jasper who snapped his neck and let him drop to the ground.

"Why? That's a waste of good blood, let me drain him."

He held me away from the corpse,

"Bella, calm down."

I was about to throw him again when I saw the stain on his shirt and pulling the material aside I could see the wound where the venom was leaking from, he must have landed on a jagged edge of stone and it had ripped into him/ A feeling of shame and concern washed over me and I fell to my knees begging his forgiveness.

"I never meant to hurt you, Jasper, I'm so sorry, I just can't control myself and now I've killed again. See, I am a monster."

He was on his knees at my side and wrapped those strong comforting arms around me again,

"It's all right Bella, you're new and everything is raw and confusing, it's going to be OK."

My answer came back a mere whisper,

"But I hurt you, again."

He laughed,

"That's nothing, I've been through a lot worse and those men were hunting out of season so I guess they deserved what they got. You're going to make slip-ups Bella, it's natural. Animal blood is a pretty poor substitute for the real thing but you'll learn to live with it."

"And if I can't?"

"If you can't then I'll help you hunt those humans whose lives ruin others, I love you, Bella, we're in this together, just remember that."

I looked into his eyes and I could see he meant every word, I would never be alone again whatever happened in the future.


	53. Chapter 53

****Chapter Fifty Three****

 **Jasper**

Bella was tearing herself to pieces with guilt, over killing yet another human and forcing me to kill his friend who had witnessed her attack and for hurting me and I guess it was the latter that had the most effect on me, that someone should feel guilty for hurting me was something of a novelty. I talked all the following night to her trying my best to point out that she was still learning to cope with all the heightened emotions and the hunger that were usual in a newborn and that having the gift she did made all these things even more difficult to control. After all, every time she became angry or thirsty and was thwarted in her desires she lost control of her gift which quite naturally defended her. In the end, we decided that the sooner we left for Italy the better, once in Volterra it would be far easier to keep her calm and away from humans. There would be plenty of e6es on her so if I missed something or had to be away from her others would be there to step in. I hoped maybe Heidi or Athena would befriend Bella, having a strong female as a figure Bella could aspire to be couldn't hurt.

Aro was more than happy to send the jet for us and Bella made it into a holiday jaunt, probably to hide her apprehension.

"I've never flown abroad before, I often hoped to but not in such luxury. What a shame I can't appreciate the champagne and caviar."

"On a Volturi jet? More like chilled blood Bella."

She grimaced,

"It sounds so awful when you put it like that but I guess you're right. Do they keep snacks in the fridge?"

"Why don't you go take a peek but I warn you chilled blood is pretty revolting."

She shook her head,

"I think I'll pass. Is the pilot a vampire?"

"No, Aro uses humans, less complicated with licensing et I assume but don't worry they're paid extremely well to ignore the passengers."

She peered out the window at the clouds below,

"It's weird when you consider that even if this plane crashed we'd walk away."

"So long as it didn't burst into flames yes."

She shivered,

"I hadn't thought of that, is fire the only way to kill a vampire? I mean I read the books where they drive a stake through Dracula's heart or behead him or bury him under a crossroads which sounds really farfetched. Bram Stoker must have had a very vivid imagination."

"Actually he does but that's not why he wrote such things, it helps keep the humans from realizing just how difficult it is to kill a supernatural being."

"He does? Do you mean you knew Bram Stoker? That's just plain crazy."

"I haven't had the pleasure personally no, but I've heard a lot about him, he's something of a folk hero among vampires. Carlisle bumped into him during one of his visits to London in 1890, Bram Stoker was struggling with his own demons, he had been turned by one of the actors at the Lyceum theatre where he worked. Carlisle helped him and in return, Bram decided to use his writing skills to help vampires by mythologizing many of the legends. How many humans would suspect a man who had a reflection or walked during the day of being a blood-drinking fiend?"

"I guess you have a point there. Are any of the legends of vampire's based on reality?"

"I have no idea, Bella but the good thing is that if you want to discover such things for yourself you now have all the time in the world and the vast resources of the Volturi archives to aid you."

She sat back pensive for a while,

"You make it sound like an adventure and all this time I've been thinking of it as a life sentence."

"That's up to you to decide, I prefer to think of it as a voyage of discovery, there are bad parts to being a vampire and you've already experienced them but there are good things too, you just have to look at it differently."

She smiled at me and grabbed my hand,

"I can think of one advantage and this plane has a bed, show me some more."

I was too much of a gentleman to refuse the lady's request.

 **Bella**

The flight had its highlights, private jets came with perks that kept me occupied body and mind but as we descended towards the airport I began to feel anxious. Soon I would be surrounded by the most important people in my new world, the ones who held the power of life or death over such as me. These were the same people who had kept Jasper here, allowed his one time comrades to attack him, the same people could decide to imprison me…..I felt the panic and rage begin to rise and tried to steady myself, reminding myself, no Bella, no one is going to hurt you, they couldn't, your gift is far too powerful. That calmed me somewhat knowing I could protect myself but what about Jasper? Could he protect himself if they decided to use him to get to me? I wish I knew if I could protect him while we were here. There were a lot of other gifted vampire's in Volterra, was I powerful enough to stand against them all and look after my mate too?

"Bella?"

Jaspers soothing voice broke through my reverie,

"I'm sorry, I was miles away."

"So I saw."

He glanced down and I saw I had crushed the armrest with my grip,

"Are you OK?"

I nodded,

"Sure, just nervous."

He continued to stare at me knowing it was a lie,

"OK, I was worrying that the Volturi might try to hurt you to get at me."

"Bella, they aren't the enemy, they're my friends and they want to help you, just like I do. Anyway, I'd like to see them get close enough to hurt either of us."

I glanced out the window and sighed,

"I might be fine but what about you? I know my gift is strong enough to keep me safe but….."

He stopped me with a kiss then stroked my cheek,

"Bella, you are my mate, your gift wouldn't allow anyone to harm me, besides I'm pretty good at looking out for myself, now stop worrying. Look, there's a car waiting for us."

I saw the shiny black car with the darkly tinted windows waiting on the tarmac and smiled,

"I feel like a film star, all this privileged treatment."

He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it,

"Nothing is too good for you Bella but I happen to know Aro is eager to meet you, I think his curiosity has been building up ever since he found out you'd been turned."

"Then I guess we shouldn't keep him waiting any longer than necessary,"

I gripped his hand for reassurance as we disembarked and walked over to the car where a man in uniform and wearing dark shades waited holding open the rear door.

 **Jasper**

Bella was very quiet during the drive to Volterra starting out the window at the countryside which was so different from anything she had seen before. I could feel the tension mounting inside her and used my gift to keep her calm and able to function without exploding. Her gift was going to make learning control much harder for her but that made no difference to me, I had her here at my side and that was all that mattered to me. I'd been alone too long, especially with the knowledge that my mate was out there just out of reach.

I wasn't sure how she would react to meeting the brothers, she had no reason to trust them other than my word and I was pretty sure if she had heard anything from Peter or Darius it would have been negative. Waiting on the steps of the clock tower to welcome us was Aro and his wife, an honor indeed and one that Bella seemed to appreciate once I explained who they were. Aro was at his most charming bowing over her hand,

"It is a pleasure to have you here Bella, at The Major's side at last. I hope you enjoyed the drive, I told Afton to take his time so you could take in the scenery."

"Thank you, I'd forgotten how beautiful Volterra is."

"Yes, it's a beautiful town, especially if you like architecture. Sulpicia here will take you to your suite, The majors previous accommodation was far too small and simple for a couple and then perhaps you would join us in the tower, I'd like to introduce you to my brother and Athena, poor Caius widow, they are excited to meet the newest member of our society. I would just like a private word with your…..what should I call him? Your?"

"Mate."

I couldn't help smiling at the firmness in Bella's voice, she was feeling more secure already.

"Of course, Major, would you come to my study for a moment?"

I glanced at Bella and she nodded then went off with Sulpicia talking softly together.

"I think Bella is going to find life here to her liking Major. You were concerned I know but she seems calm enough."

"For now."

I explained to him what had happened and he listened intently nodding now and again as we walked slowly to his study.

Once inside he told me of my reassignment and that I could take as long as I needed to help Bella.

"The resources of the Volturi are at your disposal Major, Bella is fascinating and much more powerful than even I imagined but I can see you might have a problem. The trouble with powerful gifts is that they can corrupt if not brought under control. If you find it is a problem that you cannot solve alone please do not hesitate to ask for help."

"Thank you but I'm hoping once Bella settles in she will feel more secure and therefore less stressed."

"Of course. Well, I'm sure she will be waiting for you. We will see you in say an hour? That should give Bella time enough to freshen up."

When I got to our new suite I found Bella wandering around delighted with its size and the sunlight that flooded in through the French doors which led out onto a private patio with its own fountain and trees, lemon and olive.

"This is heavenly and it's all ours?"

"All of it, Aro wants you to feel at home."

"Yes, Sulpicia explained that I can change any of the furnishings, there's a huge choice down in the archives and I'm to help myself."

I liked the gleam of excitement in her eyes, it made her look young and carefree once more.

"And…"

She had a sparkle there too,

"The bed is huge, come see,"

"Bella we only have an hour."

"Then let's see just what you can manage in half an hour soldier, I need time to change and shower too."

I grinned swept her off her feet and took her through to the bedroom with its enormous bed quite prepared to take her up on her challenge.

As it was Bella had only just gotten dressed when there was a tap at the door and I opened it to find Heidi standing there,

'It's good to see you again Major, some of the guards thought you might take the opportunity to slip away for a while but I knew better"

I smiled,

"So, how much did you win?"

"A few thousand for which I thank you. Aro sent me to see if you are ready and to let you know dinner is over and its safe for Bella to walk through the citadel."

"Thank you, Heidi, I know my way."

She grinned, turned and swayed provocatively down the corridor but I knew it was unconscious, just a part of Heidi's gift, unfortunately, Bella who had joined me wasn't aware of this and I felt jealousy ignite inside her.

"It's OK Bella, Heidi is just a friend, she's spoken for and the only reason she didn't stay to speak to you is that she knows the effect she has on other women, it's her gift, or curse, depending on her mood."

Bella stared after her but then slowly nodded,

"We've already met when I was here before and I saw her with you the first time I came to Volterra although you never saw me. I understood why she's very beautiful."

"I never notice, she's just a friend as I told you and to me, you are the most beautiful woman in the world, now are you ready for our audience?"

"Yes, although I already know everyone from my first visit."

"I think you'll find it easier this time around, now you're one of us."

"And dangerous, don't forget that."

I just kissed her and took her hand, she would be fine once she understood that no one here was going to be intimidated by her, then we made our way to the wives apartments in the tower.


	54. Chapter 54

****Chapter Fifty Four****

 **Bella**

Jasper had been right, I was less nervous meeting the Volturi leaders again but then I guess there was little to be nervous about anymore. I was equally as powerful as any of them if not more powerful and I didn't need to worry about being drained of my blood. Aro still put me on edge but I think it was his self-assurance and the fact he in effect wore the crown here in Volterra. I knew the vampire world was ruled by a council but they were not exactly a council of equals and everyone knew it.

I found myself drawn to Marcus as the most approachable of the two brothers and was fascinated when he told me his story. The thought of the people of Volterra worshipping and canonizing a vampire as the one who saved them from vampires was funny but I could see why people might be led to think of him as a savior. He didn't exude the same level of danger that the others did if anything he seemed a very sad and weary individual and when he told me about his wife Didyme I understood why. I couldn't imagine living on if Jasper were to die and I knew Darius had suffered when he lost Sara, only the thought of revenge keeping him from ending it all. How did Marcus cope with the pain of loss? I wanted to ask him but I didn't feel I knew him well enough yet to ask such a personal question.

The following day I spent with Athena and Sulpicia choosing items from the archives to furnish our suite so it would feel like a home. I hadn't imagined for a second there could be such a wealth of styles and ages hidden below the citadel, it was overwhelming and seeing my expression Sulpicia tried to explain.

"Marcus is something of a pack rat, he still acquires things even though the stores are fit to burst at the seams. Nothing is even thrown away unless broken beyond repair and this is only a small selection of our treasures, we lend much to museums and art galleries around the world under the guise of the charitable foundation Aro and Marcus set up, we are known as patrons of the arts and have been for centuries."

"So, all these things are originals?"

"Oh yes, Marcus would throw a fit if he discovered a replica in here. What you must remember Bella is that what you think of as priceless antiques were merely household goods to us."

It hadn't really struck me before but of course, they had lived in ancient Greece, browsed through Alexander's library, and probably danced at the court of the sun king in France.

I was nervous being away from Jasper for such a long period of time but my thirst was manageable if I hunted often and I felt more secure here, besides I knew he had to meet with the other commanders, he still had a job to do.

He had introduced me to Felix, the senior commander of the Volturi guard and the biggest man I had ever seen, he even dwarfed Emmett, and he scared me but Jasper assured me that like everyone else in Volterra Felix was only too happy to offer his help if I ever needed it.

"What can he do besides sit on me? Actually, I'm not sure even with my gift I could fight him off."

"Trust me, Felix will only sit on you if you try to feast on the inhabitants of the town and he won't be the only one."

It was a joke I knew but even so, I found myself watching the huge guy carefully whenever he was around.

Jasper took me to hunt in the surrounding countryside every few days to keep my thirst under control but after a week or so I realized that having tasted human blood I still craved it.

'How do you do this year after year?"

He stopped to glance at me,

"Do what?"

"Live on animal blood, it's driving me crazy and I've only been at it for a few weeks. Is it really so wrong to crave what will ease my thirst? I mean I know it means killing humans but surely if I picked the right ones I could be helping humanity?"

His expression was grim as he answered me.

"You say that now when you're hungry but remember how you felt after you killed someone before."

I wanted to scream in frustration, he was right but I had pushed those feelings to the back of my mind and they didn't seem so bad right now. Could I cope with the guilt again? Did I want to? The old Bella, the human Bella, would have cried and wanted to kill herself but she was gone. I was a vampire now and as Jane had pointed out, vampires fed on humans, it was just the plain truth and to fight against my nature was what was causing me so many problems. I didn't entirely trust Jane but she had made me feel welcome and introduced me to a lot of the females here. The Volturi was a male-dominated society and as she had explained, we women had to stick together.

I was slowly learning to control my rage, so long as I didn't dwell too long on the nagging thirst that was my constant companion. I knew Jasper understood how hard I was trying and that I wanted to make him proud of me but I still felt an outcast, after all, where did I belong? Here in Volterra, everyone else lived on human blood without making a big thing of it and I needed to feel I belonged, it was the main reason Jasper had wanted me to come with him to Volterra, so I would feel I was among friends, a part of society instead of an outcast.

Unsure what I should do I left it a few more days before deciding to talk it over with Athena who had also been really welcoming and might just understand my dilemma. I hunted for her but she was in none of her usual haunts so seeing Jane I asked where she was only to discover she and Sulpicia had made one of their rare trips to Pisa.

I was about to leave feeling dejected when Jane stopped me,

"Maybe I can help, what's wrong Bella?"

I sighed, I really needed to talk to someone other than Jasper about this although I knew he would be upset if he found out. She could see I was conflicted and smiled encouragingly.

"I promise I won't tell anyone Bella."

I motioned her into one of the empty rooms off the corridor and explained my problem,

"So you see I don't know what to do."

She nodded smiling sympathetically,

"I understand completely, I had the same problem when I was first turned. Alec wanted us to live on animal blood but it just didn't take the edge off my thirst enough for me so I talked to Aro. He told me that fighting against our nature was what was making me edgy, I even attacked Alec one day, my own brother who I love more than anything in this world and the guilt was eating me up."

"So, what did you do?"

She shrugged,

"I took Aro's advice and joined the others for a meal. It was much easier than I had expected. With others there doing the same thing I didn't feel so guilty or different and afterward it was like…...freedom. I never had a problem controlling my gift again and I never looked back. I mean I understand it's not going to be easy for you, not with The Major having such a hard time feeding on humans but I'm sure he'll understand, he loves you. The best thing you can do is to join us for our next meal without telling him, then if you find you can't go through with it there's no need for him to ever know and if you do, then you can explain how much better you feel as a result."

What Jane said made sense and I decided to try it although I hated the idea of going behind Jasper's back.

In the event I didn't have long to wait, Heidi had been gone a couple of days and was due back with a new batch of humans soon Jasper had taken a group of recruits on a patrol after hearing there were wolves in the vicinity. No one really thought they might be guardians but as he told me,

"Aro has lasted this long simply because he doesn't take anything for granted. One of the townsfolk reported the sighting to the mayor and he informed Aro so we take action but I can leave it to Katie to accompany them if you want me to stay with you."

I knew he worried about me even though since getting here I'd only had a couple of minor outbursts and I didn't want to be treated like a child and have a babysitter constantly.

The worst had been when I had put off hunting to watch Jasper train some newborns with his captain Katie. He still liked to work with them when time allowed and although I had arranged to hunt with Chelsea I hadn't been happy about it. I felt she looked down on me for refusing to live on human blood so I had sneaked away without telling her. She came looking for me and I guess guilt fed my anger so when she told me she had put off going to Pisa with Corin to help me I lost it. Rage filled my head and the next thing I knew I was standing alone amid a tangle of bodies, the newborns, Chelsea, Katie and even Jasper were all down and guilt had me creeping away without even apologizing.

Of course, Jasper excused my behavior but that didn't really help, it would have been better if he'd told me how selfish and thoughtless I was, how dropping Chelsea without a word had been wrong. After that, I stuck to my hunting regime even if I was forced on the odd occasion to go with someone other than him.

Sometimes I felt he was smothering me but I think in reality it was more my guilt at my cravings than anything he did. I loved him so much that I had to make this work, I didn't want to be a let down to him, I wanted him to be proud of me and that was what had driven me to ask Jane for her advice.

When she called for me later I was half wishing I hadn't agreed to this but it had been me who asked for help, she hadn't suggested it first so I followed her not even sure where we were going. I wasn't sure what I expected either but certainly not what actually happened.

All the Volturi were assembled in the huge audience chamber and I was amazed how many there were. The citadel was so large that it always appeared half empty but when assembled it was easy to see the Volturi was, in reality, huge.

When I said as much to Jane she laughed,

"Oh, this isn't everyone, don't forget some are with The Major and others are away overseas on assignments. It takes a large force to keep our world in check Bella."

Of course, Jane was right and I felt a little naive for thinking otherwise but even so, they seemed to almost fill the room as they waited eagerly for the humans to arrive.

When the doors finally opened and Heidi walked in I could feel the excitement of my fellow vampires and smell the blood that for now coursed through the veins of our guests. I knew Heidi hunted her quarry at the locations where other guides tried to get hired, there were a few in Pisa although she often ranged further to allay any suspicions after all none of her tour groups were ever seen again.

I hadn't expected there to be such a wide range of people. There were the usual older couples on sightseeing tours of Europe but there were also younger people and to my horror, even a couple of children. Surely the Volturi wouldn't kill them? Perhaps they would be led through the chamber to safety but then wouldn't they be witnesses to the last known location of their parents or guardians?

The doors shut with a loud boom and the tourist group looked around puzzled at first and then a little apprehensively. I saw women clutching their husband's arms and mothers drew the children to their side as if to do so would keep them safe. Suddenly I didn't want any part of this massacre and I tried to turn away, to reach the door before it started but I was already too late. The first screams rent the air and the smell of blood began to fill the air.

My mouth watered and I turned back unable to stop myself then lunged for a man who had abandoned his girlfriend and was hammering on the door screaming for help which would never come.

His deep blue eyes opened wider as he looked into my face and I knew he saw his death in my eyes. I didn't want him to suffer but I was drawn strongly by the scent of his blood and excited despite myself by his fear. The next thing I knew I was on him, my teeth slicing easily through his soft warm skin and into an artery, and sucking the life from him as he struggled in my grasp.

It didn't take long, within minutes the entire group lay motionless on the floor, sightless eyes staring up at the ceiling while tiny trickles of blood, the very last drops from their bodies stained floor and clothing. The Volturi were dispersing already, some leaving, others stopping to chat in the corridor outside as if after a business lunch, and others ignoring the carnage at their feet as they wiped lips fastidiously with tissues brought along especially for the occasion.

I dropped my victim to the floor, the dull thudding sound he made as he hit reverberating in my skull and fled back to our suite wishing once again that I had never agreed to this and if I would ever forget what I had just taken part in.


	55. Chapter 55

**Chapter Fifty Five**

 **Jasper**

I got the feeling something was wrong and left Katie to continue the search while I made my way back to Volterra. Bella had been very restive recently but I'd put it down to the outburst she had a couple of days ago when Afton had upset her, I didn't catch what he actually said but the next minute he was flying through the air followed by the furniture from the room which all smashed to pieces with the velocity it hit the stone walls. The fact we were in a room that was mainly used for socializing meant it was full of ornaments and better quality furniture didn't help Bella to feel any better when she regained control of her temper. She was more concerned about a couple of huge crystal vases than Afton who needed time to heal.

I had tried to reassure her that what she was going through was normal but she wasn't convinced,

"Who else destroyed a room and everything in it when they got annoyed without even lifting a finger? And it wasn't the first time, what about the time I lost control and you all looked like you'd been through a mincer?"

She had me there but I did point out that the second loss of control hadn't been as severe.

After this she went very quiet and even when we hunted I got the feeling her mind was elsewhere. I'd explained that animal blood took time to get used to but that she would conquer the residual thirst eventually. I had wanted to give her the opportunity to try carnivore blood again rather than elk or deer but the number of bears and wolves around here was problematical, it was one reason I was so eager to go on the hunting trip with the newborns, if I could catch a wolf and bring it back to Volterra for Bella it might help. I also told her there was no pressure on her to stick to animals other than that she was putting on herself.

Instead, I found myself running back to the citadel more concerned for my mate than I had ever been. I guess I expected to find the place in uproar and Bella busy destroying something or someone but the place was quiet and peaceful and when I asked the guard at the door if he knew where Bella was he just shrugged,

"Haven't seen her Major but most of the others are in the courtyard listening to a lecture by some professor from the university in town. Not my kind of thing but maybe she's there. The rest of the guard are watching a screening of Gladiator, mind you I don't think Maximus Meridius would last a minute with one of us now would he?"

I'd forgotten about the lecture on Da Vinci, he was one of Aro's favourite inventors and artists and I knew the rest of the Volturi council would be there eager to hear what the professor had to say about his designs, most of which they would know more about than he did but sometimes one of these academics came up with a new theory that Aro liked to discuss.

I put my head around the door into the courtyard but there was no sign of Bella among the audience and I knew she wouldn't be watching the movie so I made my way to our suite and the closer I got the faster I went, I could feel her agony hitting me in waves but I had no idea what had happened

When I opened the door I saw her curled up in a ball against the far wall like a small child in distress and I could smell the scent of fresh blood on her, human blood! Joining her I went down on my knees and opened my arms but she shrank away,

"No Jasper, I don't deserve to be comforted, I'm sorry I went behind your back but I thought maybe I could do this and feel better afterward. Instead, I feel wretched, all those poor unsuspecting people, all dead now and no one will ever know what happened to them except us. There were two children in the group Heidi brought back, I didn't know the Volturi preyed on children too. It was horrible, but what is worse is that even though I felt disgusted and I wanted to run I couldn't."

I pulled her close even though she resisted me and spoke to her quietly and reassuringly,

"Bella, it's OK,"

"No it's not, I killed someone and I enjoyed it. I don't want to feel like that ever again. I should never have listened to her but she said she could help me."

"Who did? Who did you speak to Bella?"

She looked up at me, her face a mask of misery,

"I should have listened to you but I didn't want to hear what you said. I wanted someone to tell me I could drink human blood and enjoy it and not feel guilty and when she said it would help me to control my gift more quickly I wanted to believe her."

I could feel my own anger rising, who had told Bella this?

"Who Bella?"

I couldn't imagine Sulpicia or Athenadora telling Bella any such thing but someone had and now she was distraught and I was furious but I wrestled my own anger down, right now it wouldn't be helpful.

"Who did you talk to Bella?"

When she whispered the name against my shoulder I sighed,

"It's not your fault Bella, it's mine. Jane was trying to get her own back on me for what I did to Alec. She told you what you wanted to hear knowing how much it would upset you and I wouldn't mind betting she knew Heidi had some youngsters in her party. She's an evil manipulating bitch Bella, you'd be better off staying well away from that particular female."

It took a long time to calm Bella down but it helped when I pointed out that although she had been upset and angry she hadn't allowed her gift to take over.

"See, you're learning control just like I said you would."

"Am I? Is it just a coincidence that I controlled myself after drinking human blood?"

I wouldn't lie to her,

"No, it's probably not a coincidence. Human blood makes you stronger and that, in turn, gives you more control but it made you feel so bad. Do you really want to go through that for the rest of your life every time you feed?"

She shook her head,

"No."

Then she began to shake and all I could do was to hold her.

We stayed like this for a long time until she finally relaxed in my arms and was able to tell me exactly what Jane had told her.

"And now I'm going to find the little bitch and rip her head off with my bare hands."

"Are you sure you want to do that Bella? Haven't you had enough violence for one day? Let me speak to her."

"No, I have to be able to stand up for myself or she'll be unbearable. I promise I won't use my gift to beat her to a pulp, I'll enjoy using my new strength for that instead."

"Bella, revenge is never as sweet as you think it will be, don't forget it was seeing people killed that made you feel so bad in the first place. Why don't you let me deal with Jane?"

She smiled at me, a genuine smile that lit her face up,

"Thank you, Jasper, for wanting to protect me but don't you see, Jane has got away with bullying and manipulating people all her life because she could. No one is strong enough to stand up to her, she just turns her gift on them and laughs as they suffer, but no more, now she's picked on the wrong person and she can see what it feels like to be the one suffering while someone else enjoys watching her squirm."

I was troubled, Bella was having problems the same as all newborns but she was much harder on herself than most. The first few years we're usually spent in a mindless bloodlust but she was still thinking with the mind of a human and judging herself by human standards which was torture. I wasn't sure keeping her calm and fed was the best thing to do in her case, maybe if she lost control again and stayed that way for a while she could burn off all her self-loathing but then isn't that what she had been doing on the mountain? And I had brought her back from it only to increase her pain. What she really needed to come to terms with was her thirst and having sampled human blood that was a difficult one. I understood her urge to do so again, it was a craving I wrestled with every day of my life. She had to decide on her prey and learn to live with the consequences of that decision and I told her so.

"Bella, you have two choices, you either hunt animals for their blood and learn to live with the constant thirst which I promise you will subside somewhat with time or you decide on a diet of human blood and learn to live with the guilt. I'm not saying you should choose one or the other, you are the only person who can make that decision, you know which you can cope with but I promise you that whichever way you choose I will stand by you and help you through it."

She looked at me, all humor was gone from her face again and nodded,

"I know I can't have it both ways it's just so hard either way."

"Yes, it is. I chose to hunt animals because my gift made it torture to feed on humans but I spent decades hunting humans and I will never forget the euphoria of drinking human blood so you see, it's equally as hard for me. Most vampire's drink human blood from the beginning when they don't even think about it so by the time they become controlled again it's second nature just like getting a burger was for you. I love you and I'll always stand by you but you have to choose and that's more important than chasing after Jane for revenge, that can wait a while"

 **Bella**

He was right and I should have understood that if I needed help Jasper would be the one to give it, totally unbiased. Right now the thirst was the driving force behind my actions, the guilt faded quickly although it was horrendous at the time. Which could I live with? I wasn't sure I even knew right now but I had to or the conflict would tear me apart.

Calming my churning thoughts I asked myself a series of questions,

1\. why had I become a vampire? Easy, to be with Jasper, the man I loved.

2\. What did I want from my new life? Again easy, to spend it with Jasper and to enjoy all the things being immortal meant.

3\. What was most important, peace of mind or confusion? Peace of mind.

And 4. Which decision would offer me that peace of mind and happiness I wanted so much? This was the hard one or at least the answer was a hard one, I could live with the thirst if as Jasper said it would ease off but I couldn't live with the terrible feeling of self-loathing I experienced whenever I killed a human.

"I want to concentrate on animal blood but don't judge me if I slip occasionally."

He smiled tenderly and kissed my forehead,

"Bella, the only person who will ever judge you is you, I'll just pick up the pieces and help you put yourself together again."

He was right again, I knew he would always be there for me however much of a train wreck I made of things.

"We'll start tomorrow, you can come hunt the wolves with me if the newborns haven't found them and then we'll hunt down Jane and have a quiet word with her but please, try not to use your gift, it will show her how much you despise her and that will hurt far more than any physical pain."

"OK, so long as I can kick her juvenile ass around the citadel"

"I think you might have an audience cheering you on if anyone hears about it."

"Do you think Aro will be angry? I mean she is his favorite."

"No, I think he'll feel she got her just desserts. Just because Aro likes Jane doesn't mean he approves of everything she does. Like a child, she needs chastising from time to time."

I smiled, I liked the idea of chastising the adolescent bitch and it wouldn't hurt to free myself of some stress either.


	56. Chapter 56

**Chapter Fifty Six**

 **Aro**

I had been extremely pleased with the way Bella was coping, she'd had fewer outbreaks than I expected although I suspected that was down more to The Major's influence than anything. The fact he felt able to leave her to fulfill his duties despite knowing he could take all the time he needed with his mate pointed to his own confidence in her possibly along with a little push from the girl herself. Bella had not struck me as the kind of woman who coped well with being watched, she was strong-willed and I suspected she was feeling a little overwhelmed with so many people keeping an eye on her.

Of course, her decision to live on animal blood had raised a few eyebrows here in Volterra, some felt this was The Major's influence rather than her own choice, others felt she had retained a little too much humanity and was therefore soft. Personally, I thought it a little of both but I wasn't about to interfere, it was for the two of them to work out between them.

Bella had become close to both Sulpicia and Athena, I think to have some mother figures helped although I would never breathe that word out loud, and I knew both would do all in their power to help her settle in. I was however surprised to hear that she and Jane were getting along so well, I had feared Jane might be a disturbing influence on Bella as she still blamed The Major for her imprisonment and subsequent embarrassment. Perhaps I was wrong, so far I'd had no chance to speak to her about it but so long as Bella was happy here I was satisfied.

Sulpicia and Athena had returned from Pisa a little later than planned so I had asked Heidi to hold back their meal and I waited for them before dining. It was sometimes pleasant to dine away from the others, a small chance for Sulpicia and I to enjoy each others company without a press of others all wanting to catch me as soon as we were finished, it was one of the drawbacks of being a ruler but one I would never complain about.

As a result of this isn't wasn't for several hours that I heard of Bella's presence in the chamber for dinner and then only as an aside when Chelsea came to me with the post.

"Are you sure Chelsea?"

"Of course, I'm not blind Aro. She came in with Jane and I think, although I can't be certain, that she actually dined with us. After all, why else should she arrive just as Heidi and the humans did?"

"Was The Major with her?"

"If he was I didn't see him when she came in she was with Jane as I said."

Sulpicia looked at me with concern,

"Did you hear anything about Bella changing her diet? She hasn't said anything to me although I know she is still struggling with animal blood."

"I agree it sounds odd, last time I spoke to Bella she was determined to persevere and why if she changed her mind would she appear with Jane? It seems a strange choice for a dining companion. I would have thought The Major would have wanted to be at her side however distressing it might be for him.

We decided to wait and see what happened, we were sure to hear more of the situation eventually and none of us wanted to appear to be poking our noses into Bella's private business, that would hardly help her situation as she was still settling in but I decided I would find an opportunity to speak to Jane in the near future just to see what she had to say. She had been very quiet ever since Alec got himself into trouble and then disappointed that I hadn't promoted her in his place where she felt she belonged. Jane was useful and fiercely loyal but she would never have the level of maturity necessary to be a real leader. Felix, Santiago, even Demetri suffered her when she was put in charge of an operation but if she were to make a serious mistake I had no doubt that they would take whatever steps were necessary to overrule her. Unfortunately, her gift manifesting itself at such a young age had allowed her to think herself more important and powerful than she really was and I suppose by saving their lives I had only reinforced that belief in both of them but especially Jane.

I didn't see the object of my interest the rest of that day or the following morning but I did hear a rather disturbing piece of news from another source, Heidi.

"Aro, I saw Bella at dinner last evening, I thought she'd decided to give up on her animal blood diet but she looked very distressed when she left and I can't help thinking Jane may have had something to do with that."

"Really, what makes you think that?"

"Just the huge smirk on her face as she watched Bella leave, I've learned that whenever Jane is happy it means someone else is in trouble and then I heard from Katie that The Major left the group and came back. Katie said he looked concerned and she thinks he felt there was something wrong with Bella. I really hope Jane hasn't been playing her childish tricks on Bella, she was doing so well."

"Did Bella's gift manifest itself?"

"No, but she was definitely upset. Maybe she's getting control of it now, I know that was what she wanted most of all. Should I go see what happened?"

"No, but you could ask Jane to come to my study the next time you see her, no need to tell her why. I'll speak to The Major too."

"That might not be so easy, he and Bella left the citadel earlier, they headed off into the hills, maybe he was hoping to find the rest of the wolf pack. Katie brought the newborns back a while ago for their meal and she said they hadn't caught any wolves although they did cross some trails."

"Very well, thank you, Heidi, and please, keep what you've told me to yourself for now."

She nodded and went off but I could see she was troubled, Bella had made some good friends very quickly, I wondered if she had also made a powerful enemy equally as fast.

When Jane finally arrived she looked apprehensive but she went immediately onto the attack,

"I suppose Bella came running to you with tales about me?"

"Actually no, I haven't seen or heard from Bella, why? Is there something I should know Jane?"

I gestured for her to be seated and I could see that she thought about refusing before finally sliding into a chair beside my desk.

"Well?"

"Look, she came looking for advice and as Athena and Sulpicia were away I offered to help after all aren't we all supposed to be helping poor Bella?"

She paused waiting for a reaction but I merely gestured for her to continue, I knew that made her nervous, she wasn't sure how I felt about her actions and was stumbling in the dark worrying she might make matters worse for herself.

"She told me she was having problems with animal blood, she was scared that was the root of her problem with self-control and I told her I had the same problem myself when I was a newborn."

"Did you indeed? My memory must be at fault, I don't remember you struggling particularly with control."

This time the pause was a little longer but then she shrugged,

"I said it to make her feel less of a freak she seems to think she's the only one with problems. Anyway, I suggested that maybe she should try human blood again when everyone else was feeding so she didn't feel so self-conscious. If she decided she didn't want to she could always leave and if she did, maybe she'd understand what she really wanted. Was that so wrong?"

"It's not like you to be so helpful Jane, especially as you blame The Major for your loss of face. Your suggestion would have been a good one had you also warned Bella that once the feeding frenzy began she would be unable to resist the urge to join in."

She gave me a sly look,

"It must have slipped my mind, after all its been centuries since I was a new vampire. Besides, maybe its helped her in her decision making."

"I would think it more likely that Bella is busy plotting how to repay you for your "help", The Major too, let us hope not for your sake. In the meantime it would probably be wise to stay clear of Bella and The Major, I would hate to start looking for your replacement and one twin in disgrace is more than enough. You can leave."

As she reached the door she turned back,

"Who told you?"

"A friend Jane, you know I have eyes and ears all over the citadel, there is nothing that escapes my notice for long and you'd do well to remember that."

After she left I mused on what I had heard, there had been no attempt to get revenge on Jane so far which led me to believe that her interference may well have actually helped Bella although I doubted she would see it in that way. I had no doubt there would be trouble and I would have to step in at some point but it would do Jane good to watch her back for a while, after all even if Bella refrained from using her gift overtly it would still shield her from Jane's gift giving her a huge advantage, it might even be interesting to watch, if I had time that was. For now, I was more interested in these elusive wolves.

 **Bella**

Once clear of Volterra I began to relax and as we climbed higher above the town into the fast approaching dusk we were unlikely to see any humans and I could enjoy the feeling of freedom. Jasper took my hand and we ran to the spot where the newborns had found evidence of the wolves passage, their scent still lingering on the ground.

"Do you smell anything else, Bella?"

I tested the air closing my eyes to concentrate,

"There were several wolves but there's something about their scent..."

"Yes, I doubt the others noticed it and I'm pleased that you did, it's subtle. Having control over yourself helps to see and smell things others, like newborns miss. So, what do you think?"

I shook my head,

"I'm not sure but I think at least one of them is different from the others, I guess it could just be the sex?"

"No, this is something different Bella, I think that at least one of the wolves may not be a wolf at all maybe all."

I stared at him puzzled,

"Not a wolf? You think maybe a feral dog is traveling with wolves? Is that likely?"

"No, not a dog, this is something far more dangerous Bella."

"Something more dangerous? You mean a threat to us? What can threaten a vampire?"

Then it hit me, something like a wolf but not a wolf and a threat to vampires,

"You think there's a spirit warrior out here, one of the cold ones? I thought they were native American in origin?"

"There are guardian tribes in different countries, not so many outside America but some. I've never heard of any around here though, it would seem this particular shapeshifter might have a death wish lurking around Volterra."

"Do you think maybe it's just lost? I mean a single guardian wolf isn't going to try to take out the headquarters of the vampires, that would be crazy!"

"Yes, it would, so either its running with wolves and has no idea where it is or it's looking for someone in particular. We should probably go back, Aro should know what we've discovered, it could be important."

We turned to retrace our steps but found our way back barred and not by just two wolves but a whole pack and they were big, supernaturally big.

Jasper pulled me close as the pack circled us snarling softly, their amber eyes never leaving us. One of the wolves was a real giant and the one closest to it was only slightly smaller but more delicate in form and a darker color, more black than brown.

"Those two are guardians aren't they?"

Jasper nodded watching them as intently as they watched us,

"Yes, and I think the others are werewolves."

I froze, then looked up to see a huge full moon hanging in the sky above our heads.


	57. Chapter 57

**Chapter Fifty Seven**

 **Jasper**

I cursed myself for putting Bella in danger, I should have been more aware of my surroundings and instead, I had dropped my guard. Her gift might save us if it came to a fight but how many more of the wolves were out there? It was unheard of for the Children of the Moon to move in packs but here they were and even more strange was that they should be running with guardians. Caius had thought he had killed the last of the werewolves centuries ago but some had survived and obviously hidden awaiting their chance for revenge. The only way they would ever be a menace to us was if they ever formed an alliance among themselves and it seemed that was exactly what they had done. Usually, they lost all human thought processes in their wolf form but perhaps the two guardians were responsible for keeping them together as a group once they transformed.

I watched the two guardians carefully making sure I was between my mate and their razor-sharp teeth speaking to urgently in an undertone.

"Now might be a good time to lose control, Bella."

"No, they aren't attacking which means they want something from us, I want to know what that is. Do they feel rage? Or are they just waiting as they appear to be doing?"

I concentrated on their emotions for a moment.

"The wolves are ready to attack, they'd like nothing more than to rip us to pieces, it's only the presence of the guardians keeping them from doing it so maybe you're right but don't let your guard down for a second, they're fast and they're strong."

"I won't."

The largest of the two guardians turned his head to glance at the smaller as if in a query and this one, who seemed to be more shocked than anything, nodded. It padded into the trees and reappeared a few seconds later in human form clad in shorts and a tee shirt. Both Bella and I recognized the woman as Leah Clearwater from the Quileute tribe but what the hell was she doing here in Italy with a pack of werewolves?

"Leah?"

The girl sniffed the air as if she couldn't believe the truth she saw with her own eyes,

"Bella? Oh no, not you. What happened to you?"

We both knew what Leah was referring to, she knew Bella was now one of the enemy, a vampire just like me.

"Why are you here? What's going on?"

The guardian at her back snarled showing his sharp white canines as if to hurry Leah along and I wondered just who was really in charge here.

"I'm sorry you got pulled into this, I thought you would be safe, that Jake and the others would look after you but it seems I was wrong and now you're one of them. Do you know what they've done? How many humans they've killed? How they almost wiped out the children of the moon? My own imprint was murdered by one of them."

Things clicked into place, Leah was out for revenge and who better to aid her than her present companions?

Bella was almost as shocked as the Quileute girl.

"Your what? I didn't think you had a boyfriend. No one said anything about one when you left."

"They didn't know, no one on the reservation did or they would have tried to stop me."

"Why? I don't understand."

The other guardian growled again echoed by the other wolves and Leah scowled,

"He wasn't like me, he belonged to a small group of others all like himself, they were children of the moon, the very last survivors of their kind who had been drawn together for safety. Your kind still hunt them you know, one of your kind killed him and now we've come for revenge"

I stepped forward and the wolves tensed, hackles up and ready to attack,

"No one hunts them, as far as the Volturi are concerned they're extinct and the man who wiped them out is dead."

She spat at my feet,

"Man? You mean the leech called Caius? We know but he didn't act alone, he had the backing of the Volturi and now it's time to reap what you sewed bloodsucker."

Her outline wavered and then she was back in wolf form her clothes mere torn shreds on the ground at her feet. I sensed what was coming and shouted,

"Bella watch out."

The wolves attacked on mass and I tensed ready to take out as many as I could if Bella's gift failed but then I heard her scream my name, the larger guardian wolf had knocked me to the ground his teeth sinking into my arm as I fought off three others as best I could and then suddenly all hell broke loose.

Wolves went flying in all directions smashing against trees and rocks, swept up in the air and thrown great distances while the guardian continued to hold onto me tightly, his teeth slicing through my flesh like a hot knife through butter and I felt venom spurting out to wet the grass beneath us. Unlike the other wolves, he was protected because Bella wasn't going to use her gift on me. I could see the conflict in her eyes, she was afraid to use her gift on me because she was afraid of hurting me but by attempting to protect me she was allowing the wolf to carry on its attack.

I struggled to my feet one arm hanging uselessly at my side but I wasn't finished yet, the trouble was that the best way to kill a wolf was to grab it around the body and squeeze breaking its ribs and hopefully it's spine too but I couldn't get around its girth one-handed. Out the corner of my eye I saw the smaller wolf, Leah run back towards us and shouted to warn Bella who turned but hesitated at the vital moment, she remembered the innocent young girl she had been friends with back in Forks but that girl had gone and in her place stood a vengeful bloodthirsty creature only too willing to take the life of any vampire that crossed her path, even one she had known as a human.

 **Bella**

I hadn't felt that threatened by the wolves at first, sure that between us Jasper and I were a match for any creature but that was before I realized that none of these creatures were exactly what they seemed and when Leah transformed back to her human form I was staggered. So when the attack came although I used my gift, actually able to control it enough to aim it at the wolves alone I wasn't able to help Jasper. I'd seen what my gift could do and Jasper maimed would be easy pickings for the werewolves that I knew would be back in seconds unless I attacked again and more powerfully this time.

When I heard Jasper shout my name and turned around to see what was coming I recognized Leah in wolf form and hesitated which gave her time to smash into me and she began ripping at my flesh with her razor sharp claws and teeth. Without thinking I put everything I had into my gift and heard screams of pain and terror as the whirlwind I had created ripped the wolves to bloody pieces that rained down all around us.

As things calmed down once more I looked around for Jasper but he was no longer there, he and the wolf who had attacked him we're both gone. I screamed his name and ran to the trees hoping I would find him there trapped between branches but I almost tripped over his body where it lay on the ground twisted like the huge wolf that lay across him or at least the head and neck of the wolf, its teeth still clamped tightly into his shoulder, it's body was nowhere to be seen but I didn't care, my only concern was for my mate. For a moment I forgot all about vampires and wolves and saw Jasper as a mere human whose body could never have survived the forces that had twisted and ripped at it.

I fell to my knees at his side and gently opened the wolf's mouth wider and pulled the canines from his flesh then threw the head into the undergrowth all the time berating myself for not acting sooner or with more power. I could have been responsible for his death while all he had tried was to make sure I was safe and it was all Leah's fault if she hadn't distracted me none of this would have happened.

A part of me wanted to find her, to make sure she was dead but the greater part wanted to be here, to ensure my mate was going to be OK.

When he groaned and opened his eyes I felt relief flood through me and lifted him up so his head rested in my lap and wiped the wolfs blood from his face,

"I'm so sorry Jasper, I should have acted more quickly."

He groaned then tried to lift his head but his arm flopped uselessly at his side, the huge gaping wounds only slowly beginning to close up. I felt so helpless, I had no idea what I should do but then I heard footsteps, people running towards us. Were they friends or were they more guardians who had been hiding close by? I tensed ready to act quickly this time then relaxed when I recognized Felix and Katie accompanied by some of the guards.

Felix sent the guards to check the area after seeing bloodsoaked fur on the ground and a severed leg hanging from a branch then approached warily,

"You OK Bella?"

I nodded putting his mind at rest that I wasn't about to put him and the guards through the mincer too.

"They caught us unaware…...I mean Jasper said they were Children of the Moon and there were two guardian wolves with them, I guess he didn't expect that and then when I should have acted I froze and now look…"

I realized I was babbling and trailed off as Katie smiled taking me by the arm and tugging me to my feet, Felix taking my place at Jasper's side,

"Major, you look like shit, what the fuck happened?"

I heard Jasper's voice as I followed Katie to a small hummock where we sat down and hung my head.

"It looks like you cleaned up Bella, it was a good job you were here with werewolves and guardians working together. I was coming back out with some of my men when Felix appeared with the guard, he said Aro got a call from Alice Cullen, it seems she'd seen trouble. You really didn't need us though."

I looked up still mad at myself,

"I did, I froze Katie when I recognized a friend, well she was a friend once."

"And now you're busy beating yourself up for it. You should take it easy on yourself if you hadn't then you wouldn't be you. I've watched you struggle every day since you got here, you should just accept that you're never going to be like some who don't give a damn about anyone except themselves and give themselves over to the bloodlust. You're different and if I might say so with a gift as powerful as yours, it's probably a good thing or Volterra would be crashing down around our ears. Ease up and go with the flow, The Major idolizes you and I know he blames himself for your pain."

I hadn't thought about that, Jasper blaming himself for my problems but I could see it. The way he viewed it I had become a vampire to be with him so any problems I had were of his making.

"I hadn't thought of that."

"Well, I mean I know we aren't strictly friends but I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say get your shit together girl, he deserves better."

I was angry now but not with Katie, with myself for becoming so wrapped up in my own misery that I failed to see how it was affecting the man I loved.

"I will Katie and thank you, Now I have to get back to Jasper."

I stood up and there he was leaning on Felix's arm but on his feet and healing and I ran into his arms silently vowing that I would never worry him again, ever.


	58. Chapter 58

**Chapter Fifty Eight**

 **Jasper**

I guess I shouldn't have acted like a typical man trying to protect Bella who of all of us needed protecting least of all but there was still a little of the callow young Confederate soldier in me that couldn't see a woman facing danger. The vampire in me meanwhile was laughing his head off. I could hear him now,

"Hey, Major, she could kick their butts while polishing her nails and not smudge a single one"

True, but in the event, she did hesitate although it made no difference to the ultimate outcome. The wolves, guardians and were variety didn't stand a chance in hell against her gift which seemed to grow in strength as she matured and grew into her new body, she was awesome!

The fact I was injured bothered her a lot more than it did me but she seemed much more rational when she returned from her chat with Katie and I wondered what had passed between them, perhaps Bella would tell me because I knew that Katie certainly wouldn't.

Felix had looked around with a grin on his usually impassive face,

"Now this is what I call swift justice, I wish I'd been here to see Bella in action although looking at the state of you perhaps not. Any idea what they wanted?"

"Yeah, the same as usual, justice. I thought just maybe now Caius is dead any remnants of the werewolves would fade into the background but it seems they blame us all."

"There can't be many left after this and I admit I'm amazed to see there were this number still around and I was certain if there were any at all they wouldn't have attacked alone, that would have been suicidal"

"They didn't, they had a couple of guardians with them."

His eyebrow shot up in surprise,

"Guardians? Aro should know, this is a serious escalation. Why the hell would they join the werewolves? It's tantamount to declaring war on us."

"I doubt they were under orders, one of them lost a mate to vampires, I don't know the story of the other one but you or someone in Volterra might recognize him, his head should be over there in the bushes somewhere"

I gazed around at the carnage,

"And we need to get this mess cleared up before the inhabitants of Volterra decide to take an early morning stroll on the mountainside."

He disappeared into the undergrowth after barking out orders for the guards to comb the area, collect any body parts they found for transportation to the citadel and clean up any visible blood stains. It didn't take long for the various body parts now all in human form once more to be collected into a huge pile which was then put into sacks and carried back to the citadel through the underground passages, we couldn't afford a chance peek at the contents by some insomniac townsfolk.

I was walking slowly back with Bella when Felix caught us up once more carrying a sack containing a single spherical object, the missing guardian's head I assumed. Bella glanced at it but where before she would have looked away in disgust she now pointed to it,

"You're leaking Felix."

The big man cursed and shrugging out of his jacket pulled the severed head out of the sack and wrapped it securely before dropping it back inside.

"Did you recognize him?"

He shook his head in answer to my question.

"No, but hopefully someone will, I don't get away from Volterra as much as I used to and I guess now Caius is gone duties will keep me even closer to home."

I knew what he meant, Felix may officially only be the head of security and commander of the Volturi guard but he was also a silent partner on the ruling council something very few people were aware of.

We got back much later than the others due to my weakness and found Aro and Marcus waiting impatiently.

"Is that it?"

Aro gestured to the bag that hung from one of Felix huge hands,

"You could have sent it on with the message Katie gave me."

"And miss the grand unveiling? Never. Here you go."

He reached inside and pulled out the head by its long dark hair and put it down on Aro's desk much to his annoyance as the clotted blood smeared the documents now lying beneath it.

Both he and Marcus looked closely at the face which was somewhat distorted and then at each other,

"Is it…?"

Aro nodded,

"Yes, much older but it's him although I admit I assumed he was dead,"

"We should send a message to Denali, let them know we found their renegade wolf at last."

Aro sighed,

"Yes, I just hope it doesn't cause complications."

Bella frowned,

"Complications? Who is he and what's in Denali?"

"Forgive me, I forgot my dear, you don't know the story of Joseph do you? His brother Johnny is the leader of the guardian tribes, he lives in Denali Alaska. Joseph felt he should have become the leader when their father died, he was the eldest son after all but he was also wild, hot-headed and rash. Actually, he would never have been chosen anyway, when his father decided to end his life when his human wife lost her battle against heart disease the gift was bestowed on his brother, it is passed on through the spirit world. At that point Joseph rebelled and broke away from the guardians, then when he discovered his brother was more interested in keeping the peace through negotiation with the Volturi as his father had before him he became even more vocal vowing to free the world of our kind. A war with the guardians would have been devastating for both sides and probably would have exposed us to the humans both sides have been searching for Joseph ever since. He spent most of his time in wolf form it would seem which helped him to elude us and slowed down the aging process."

"How old was he?"

Aro shrugged,

"I don't know for sure, certainly well over a hundred by now."

He turned to Marcus,

"You're right of course brother, we must inform Denali. We should store the body too, his brother might want it returned. What about the other guardian? Do we know who he was?"

"She, it was a female and yes, I knew her."

He turned his keen gaze onto Bella once more,

"A female? I see. Joseph's mate I assume?"

"No, she said vampires had killed her mate and that's why she was here, for revenge."

"I see, do we have her remains also?"

Felix shook his head,

"No, I left a couple of the guards out on the mountain looking for her. We cleared up and traces of the incident and the other remains are in the furnace room ready for disposal."

"Then retrieve the guardian's body and burn the rest, it would gladden poor Caius heart if he knew more Children of the Moon were dead, there can't possibly be many more unless they spend every full moon biting as many humans as possible….what a terrible thought. Well done Bella, we have you to thank for removing these canines from the face of the earth."

Bella nodded but I knew Leah's death had affected her so making our excuses we left Aro and Marcus to decide what if anything else, needed to be done.

Katie had been into our suite and left me a couple of blood bags knowing I would need to feed and that it would be much quicker and easier if I didn't have to go hunting especially as the local wildlife would have been frightened away by the presence of the wolves and the fight on the mountain.

I tore one open without thinking and began to drink before seeing the way Bella was looking at me,

"I'm sorry Bella, I can take this out on the balcony if you prefer."

She shook her head,

"No, carry on, I hate to see you like this it's just…..well I never thought about blood bags before. I mean it's a way of drinking human blood without having to kill anyone. Do you think it would work for me?"

It hadn't occurred to me because vampires usually drank straight from the vein, warm blood was far more palatable but there was no reason why she shouldn't try it.

"Where do the Volturi get theirs?"

"We hold free clinics once a week and some of the blood that's donated goes to the hospital in Pisa, the rest is kept in case of situations like this. The Volturi hold a supply in cold storage, I'm sure Aro would be happy for you to raid it if you think it would work but cold blood?"

I grimaced as I took another gulp feeling my body healing more rapidly.

"It's better than hunting animals when I don't even enjoy their blood and it means I don't have to feel so terrible because I'm not actually killing anyone, it's perfect."

She looked so relieved and happy that I threw the now empty blood bag on the table and took her in my arms.

"So long as you're happy, I'm happy darlin'"

She shared the second bag with me although I had most of it and then we showered together and one thing led to another so it was afternoon before we considered what had taken place earlier.

"You know something Jasper, I haven't given Leah a thought since we got back, is that terrible? I mean I'd known her nearly all my life but the way she looked at me with such hatred and loathing. She really saw me as a monster yet not the fact that she was one too. I didn't know girls turned too, the legends always talked about men becoming spirit warriors but then again the legends were never so clear on the fact that spirit warriors took wolf form either."

"It's unusual for a girl to phase into wolf form, maybe the shock of her mate's death did it."

"She was so different, so full of rage and hatred, looking to kill vampires and she turned into a giant wolf ready to tear me apart even though she knew me."

"Things are different for our kind Bella, you should think about it in the same way as it was for mankind centuries ago, they killed, captured, or tamed the wild beasts they saw as a threat to their existence and while there is a truce of sorts between the Volturi and the guardian tribes nothing like that existed between the Children of the Moon and us. Caius led a campaign to wipe their kind from the surface of the planet and damn near succeeded, the few left were forced to run and hide so I guess they finally saw a possibility of revenge just as your friend did. To her, you were just another of the evil ones who killed her mate and ended her happiness."

"But did they really think they could take on the entire Volturi with just a few wolves? It's madness."

"Yes, that is more worrying, if it had been the wolves alone without guardians I guess you could put it down to moon madness but the guardians must have known they couldn't hope to beat us, not on home territory. So, maybe they were looking for a particular vampire to kill and we were just opportunity kills."

 **Bella**

It was hard to think of Leah in that way but it made perfect sense and as a vampire, I understood only too well the fury that drove creatures such as us to terrible lengths to protect and defend ourselves. I had thought to be a vampire was more a change of diet and durability but it was far more than that, vampires were as alien from humans as humans were from the animal kingdom, like animals vampires were driven by their emotions with the centuries of civilisation stripped from them and it had taken me a long time to understand this. I was like a child taking baby steps into a new and unknown world but like a child I had someone at my side who loved me and would always be there to help and guide me.


	59. Chapter 59

**Chapter Fifty Nine**

 **Aro**

Well, we had some good news, Joseph Denali was finally dead, a thorn in our side had finally been extracted but we would need to be careful how we broke the news to his family. While Johnny H was usually calm and clear-headed we must not forget we were talking about his brother here, diplomacy and tact would be required. Marcus and I were talking about the best way to break the news when there was a tap at the door and Felix entered looking extremely pleased with himself.

"Afton and Katie scoured the countryside for miles around but they finally found the missing guardian. She was severely injured but had managed to crawl away so they brought her back. I told them to put her in the catacombs, there are several rooms there with sturdy enough doors to hold a wolf in. Heidi and Katie are with her now although from what I hear she is refusing medical help. I assumed that is what you wanted me to do."

"Good, yes of course. Actually, this might just help us with our dilemma, a sweetener to balance the tragic news. We'll come now and see what she has to say. Are her wounds going to be fatal?"

Felix shrugged,

"I have no idea but she's still kicking and biting so my guess would be no. She lost a lot of blood and she's beaten up pretty bad but she's a wolf, she'll probably heal in time."

"Good, I'd hate to have to break it to Johnny H that we are holding the corpses of two guardians."

When we reached the secure room there was quite a crowd in attendance, Felix turned to explain,

"Most of the men have never seen a guardian in the flesh, they're just curious."

"I understand but perhaps you could disperse them now."

He nodded and broke up the crowd most of whom drifted away still talking excitedly but two figures remained, Jane and Carlisle Cullen.

"Carlisle? I didn't see you as a sensationalist and I know you've seen live guardians before so the only conclusion I can come to is that you know this particular wolf girl."

"Yes Aro, she's a Quileute, the daughter of one of the tribal elders although I have to admit I never expected to see a female guardian."

"Really? Once upon a time there were quite a few, after all the men left the villages to hunt so who was supposed to keep the village and livestock safe? Admittedly their numbers dwindled the more necessity forced them into contact with the settlers from far shores but the gene is still there. It must have been particularly strong in this particular female. Have you spoke to her?"

He shook his head looking troubled,

"No, I wasn't sure what you were going to do and decided I should wait for your arrival. I hear Bella and Jasper we're attacked by a large pack of wolves. It seems Caius was mistaken when he said he had wiped out the Children of the Moon."

"Yes, although from what I have heard they were a poor example of their species, the old werewolves we're much tougher, they wouldn't have been ambushed so easily, not even by a gift such as Bella's. They would have watched and learned our weaknesses before approaching. Unfortunately if what Bella told us is true it would seem they allowed themselves to be overcome by rage and the insanity that comes with their transformation."

Felix shook his head,

"No, I've spoken to The Major, these werewolves were in control until commanded to attack, the guardians had some kind of control over them."

"Well, both wolves and guardians are dead or in our hands so I don't think we need to worry ourselves unduly. Many have tried to topple us from our thrones over the centuries but none has ever managed such a task and that includes these pups."

I motioned for the guard to stand aside and unlock the door into the wolf girl's cell then swept in with Renata at my left shoulder and Felix at my right. My faithful Felix who still considered himself my bodyguard and who was indeed one of my closest and most loyal friends.

"Would you care to accompany us, Carlisle? It may calm the girl to see a familiar face even if that face is that of the enemy."

Carlisle nodded and joined us but I held up my hand when Jane tried to follow him inside,

"No my dear, too many people would only enrage and upset the poor girl and I have something I want you to do, please find The Major and Bella and tell them that I would be grateful if they could join me down here as soon as possible."

She hesitated to scowl up at me but then stomped off. I knew she was wondering what reception she would get after her nasty little prank, I for one would be relieved when it was all over, she had been skulking around like a frightened deer ever since the dinner incident and not only from Bella and The Major, she had, so I heard, received negative reactions from many other sources which must have come as something of a shock to her. If she had been a little more mature she would have realized that others here had very positive reactions to Bella and most we're also extremely fond of or loyal to The Major, she had picked her foe blindly and only now were her eyes being opened to the ramifications of her actions.

The guardian girl was such a slight little thing, she looked as if a strong wind would blow her over even though she sat wrapped in a thick if bloodstained blanket.

"I'm told you have refused medical attention."

She glared at me her eyes glowing with a rabid hatred I had come to expect from the various wolf species.

"You know your friends are all dead?"

Still, she did not speak but I could see she was shaking beneath the blanket but whether with fear, pain, or anger, it was impossible to tell.

"So, you refuse to speak either? A pity. it's going to make this conversation rather one-sided."

I gestured and Felix brought me a chair so I was on the same level as the girl and could see her face better.

"I take it you know who I am?"

Still no reply so I carried on,

"This is my brother and co-ruler Marcus and you are Leah CLearwater I hear."

"Who told you? Bella, I guess."

The words were spat out through gritted teeth but it was a start and would suffice for now.

"We are not going to kill you if that's what you are afraid of."

"I'm not afraid of anything you can do leech."

She sneered at me, at last, a flash of spirit!

"Really? Very good, then why pray tell me will you not accept help? You are quite obviously in pain and Doctor Cullen is here and only too willing to help you, you do remember doctor Cullen?"

Her eyes slid reluctantly to Carlisle and then back to me,

"I don't need your help and I certainly don't need his."

"I think want is a more appropriate word under the circumstances but as you wish. If you change your mind you only have to say so. Now, I understand a vampire killed your mate, could you tell me who and where? Was he a guardian like yourself? Somehow I doubt it or you would not have been in such lowly company. No, I think that he was a child of the moon too, that's why you left home, I take it your people disapproved?"

She turned her head away and stared at the wall but I had detected tears in her eyes, she was in both physical and emotional pain.

"Who did you come to kill exactly? I mean this was never an attempt to destroy us, you didn't have the manpower for that, no, you were looking for one man or woman. Whose idea was it to come here? Joseph's?"

She turned to study me surprised that I knew the name of her companion.

"Yes, we know all about Joseph, the renegade who wanted to wipe out the vampire species. He was a fool and a hot head but I have to admit that bringing in the remnants of the werewolves was clever, very clever, especially as they are so hard to control and command. Still, I suppose he must have a little of the charisma that both his father and brother were blessed with."

There was a noise in the corridor and Bella and The Major appeared in the room. Leah stared at them then spat on the floor at their feet and turned back to me,

"Don't think that bringing her in here will make any difference, she's a loathsome creature just like the rest of you."

"What you choose to think of us is immaterial but please feel free to hold on tight to your hatred. Now, down to business, where are the rest of the wolves hiding out? I take it you were hoping to draw a certain vampire to their hiding place so he or she could be killed."

The skin around her eyes tightened but she said nothing.

"I see, well perhaps I should discover the answers to my questions like this."

I got up and grabbed her arm so quickly she didn't have time to react and pull away, besides where could she go?

Visions whipped through my mind, her earliest memories, her days when Bella was if not exactly a friend at least not an enemy and the meeting with the werewolf in the forest. This one was acting true to type in traveling alone.

The two recognized each other for what they meant to each other but both knew Leah's family and the tribe would hunt him down and kill him rather than allow her to become his wife so the two of them ran. I didn't see the vampire who killed him because she had not but I did hear a name, one that another wolf, a friend of his, had given her as that of the killer….Demetri.

Things began to click into place, I remembered a serious altercation between Demetri's party as they hunted down a renegade nomad and ran into a pair of werewolves. Fortunately, they had followed the wolves until they changed back at dawn and killed one as he phased but the other had fled and he must have been the one who gave Leah the name of her mate's murderer.

 **Bella**

I wondered what exactly Aro was seeing in Leah's memories, perhaps even me somewhere in there, I also wanted to know what he planned on doing with her. She was obviously in pain but I knew Carlisle would have offered to help her even if Aro hadn't and I was equally as sure that she would have refused him. I felt guilty that I was the one responsible for her discomfort but she had been willing to kill both me and Jasper and if there had been an army at their back they would have probably stormed the citadel and slaughtered or at least attempted to slaughter everyone inside.

She hated Aro's touch and when she couldn't pull free of his grip she attempted to phase but she was too weak and in too much pain and the best she could do was to grow claws and canines that stuck out of her mouth in a grotesque parody of a Hollywood werewolf transformation. He dropped her arm as her other hand swiped at it leaving deep gouges in his flesh that closed almost immediately.

"So, we still have some fight left in us, you're a brave but foolish girl if you think you can harm anyone here. I have what I want, the identity of your target but I'm afraid I cannot allow you to complete your mission. However, I am prepared to release you into the care of your esteemed leader Johnny H. What he chooses to do with you is not something that interests me although if I ever see you again I will not be so magnanimous."

"I'd rather die, I don't belong with the guardians anyway."

He smiled down at her,

"You're wrong you know, I have met female guardians in the past and trust me, they were the most savage and determined of all, you would have fit in completely and I am sure your leader will tell you the same thing. If he decides to accept my gifts I will be sending you back with The Major and your friend Bella so it would be as well for you to make your peace with them."

As he turned to leave she snarled and once more spat at my feet,

"Never, I wish I'd killed the traitorous bitch when I had a chance."

At the door, he turned smiling humorously,

"I fear not, Bella is far more likely to have killed you, you were lucky, you should be thanking her."

Then he left followed by Marcus, Carlisle, and Felix leaving us alone with Leah who turned her back on us and as it was obvious she was not going to speak again we followed them and the door banged shut leaving her alone with her rage and her pain.


	60. Chapter 60

**Chapter Sixty**

 **Jane**

Had Aro really expected me to go meekly into the lion's den? I wasn't that stupid although I did wonder what had made me think I could get away with setting Bella up? She was everyone's little darling at the moment and I honestly couldn't see the attraction, even Alec was taken with The Major's pet and it made me feel sick. I'd soon found someone to pass on the message from Aro while I found somewhere quiet to think. It was plain I was in big trouble and not only with Bella herself. A lot of people I had regarded as friends had been quite open about their disgust with my little prank and I was feeling quite isolated. It wouldn't have been so bad if I could have used my gift to teach her a lesson in humility but no, she was the girl with the golden gift, a position I had filled for centuries. Alec had the temerity to tell me I was just jealous to have been pushed off my pedestal, mind I did enjoy watching him writhe on the floor for a few seconds, the one good thing about my gift was that it didn't need to build up but when I left him I felt guilty, striking out like that had been rather juvenile.

If only the wolves had finished Bella off life would be back to normal but of course with her gift they hadn't stood a chance. If only I knew of a tame werewolf I could offer the opportunity of chowing down on a vampire but then if anyone found out I would find myself in terrible danger, Aro wouldn't stand by after such a flagrant disregard for the safety of a fellow member of the Volturi. Of course, if it looked like an accident that would be different but it was all pie in the sky, there was no such beast.

I found a peaceful alcove deep in the bowels of the archives and sat down, I couldn't keep hiding like this, I needed a way to get rid of Bella once and for all.

"Feeling a little nervous Jane?"

I jumped, then recognized Abel who was about the only other person in Volterra who felt the same way I did about Bella.

"How did you find me?"

"Don't worry I won't tell anyone where you hide, personally I think you got a raw deal, you know that. Any idea what you're going to do next? I think you're lucky she isn't hunting you down, maybe she doesn't think she needs to, after all, you've got to come out of hiding sooner or later, you can't dodge the bullet indefinitely."

He flopped down beside, me on the couch and leaned back closing his eyes,

"I hate The Major, arrogant prick."

I grinned,

"What's he done to you?"

He snorted,

"Abel, get your head out of your ass or the next newborn you encounter will deprive you of it. Anyone would think he's Mars."

"Unfortunately for you he is, or as near as damn it. The Southern Armies nicknamed him the God of War."

"Yeah well, he acts like an ass hole."

I wanted to point out to him that The Major was only trying to ensure he didn't get himself killed on assignment and in all honesty, Abel wasn't a good fighter even I could see that, but I restrained myself.

"You know what he's got me doing tonight? Babysitting that wolf girl."

I sat up,

"Really? On your own?"

He scowled at me, I'd inadvertently hurt his feelings and hurried on to explain,

"I meant if you are on your own maybe we can have s9me fun with her."

He looked puzzled,

"Why? She's going to be sent back to her own kind. I guess if you want to play with her for a while I can let you in but she's injured so it won't be much fun."

"Actually I was thinking that maybe we could arrange for her to escape and run into The Major. That would serve him and Bella right for disrespecting us."

He thought about this then pulled a face,

"I don't know Jane, I mean they'll know I let her escape and she's injured so The major would probably take her easily, I heard a story where he took on three wolves single-handed so what makes you think he'd lose against her?"

"Listen, they'll be feeding her and with her accelerated healing she'll be back to health in a few hours and maybe we can even the odds a bit, lead him into a trap."

"What kind of trap? You know if Aro finds out we've freed the girl it'll be our asses in a sling."

"Only if he finds out it was us if he thinks whoever brought her meal had omitted to secure the door then the blame would be aimed elsewhere."

"You think she'd do what you want her to? From what I heard cooperation with the Volturi isn't on her to do list."

"She doesn't need to if we arrange it so she has no choice but to run into The Major…"

He brightened up at that,

"I'm listening….."

 **Jasper**

Bella and I went back with Aro and Marcus to Aro's study where he laid out their plan.

"I will be contacting Denali later to inform Johnny H of the death of his brother and the capture of one of his guardians. In my favor is the fact that two guardians attacked the Volturi in our own backyard which is a breach of the understanding that exists between us. I will offer to allow the matter to drop and return both his brothers remains and the girl in exchange for his word that the matter is over and that the girl will be closely watched and kept under control, I'm sure her family would be only too happy to get her back alive and well. Of course, I will also make it perfectly clear that her return here would result in not only her death but would also be seen as a declaration of war between us."

"It sounds reasonable to me but do you think he'll accept those terms?"

"Wouldn't you Major when the alternative would be a war between our worlds?"

I nodded,

"I guess so, you know Johnny H better than I do and it is a generous offer."

"It's the politic thing to do. Sometimes we have to stand back from what we want to do and see the bigger picture. As a commander, I'm sure you understand."

"Yes, I do. When do you envisage us leaving?"

"Depending on my conversation with Denali perhaps tomorrow evening if the girl is well enough to travel, Carlisle doesn't seem to think she's badly injured or at least not so bad that her wolf genes can't repair any damage."

We left soon after and went back to our suite,

"Did you see Jane skulking around anywhere?"

"Nope, I think she's avoiding you Bella although I can't imagine why."

She grinned,

"Me neither but she can't hide forever and I can wait, it gives me time to think of a suitable punishment. Do you think we'll see her before we leave? I'm amazed Aro is just going to let Leah go, do you think she'll stay away? She seemed pretty determined to get revenge for her mate."

"I would think Johnny H will give her an alpha order to stay away."

"A what?"

"The guardians run in packs and each pack has an alpha, one whose word is law and cannot be broken. Johnny H is the leader of all the guardian packs so if he gives an order it's the equivalent of an alpha command, she won't be able to break it even if she wanted to, Aro knows this. He doesn't war between us, it would result in too many deaths all around."

I hadn't mentioned to Bella what a mark of respect it was being asked to carry out such an important assignment, especially as I was still technically serving my sentence and Bella was an unstable newborn. Such jobs were usually handed to Felix or Alec although he was another who had blotted his copybook with the Volturi. I think it was Aro's way of telling me that I was forgiven for my earlier deeds which suited me just fine because it meant he understood and accepted why I had acted as I had. I did have a sneaky suspicion that there might be more to it than that but until he decided to take us into his confidence I would just have to wait to discover just what it was.

Bella was a different person now she had found a way to quench her thirst without killing animals or humans and I wasn't going to point out that for the whole of her human life she had been quite happy to live on slaughtered animal flesh, it wouldn't be particularly helpful after all. Bella was excited at the thought of returning to the United States now she felt more confident although I was pleased when she told me that she felt secure knowing she had a home and family back here waiting for her return. It brought up something I felt we should probably address.

"You understand that you can't contact your father while we're there don't you?"

She nodded but a shadow crossed her face,

"I know and up to now I have been able to shut that thought out of my mind but I feel guilty, after all, he must be crazy with worry over what's happened to me, his only daughter, mom too I guess."

"I understand that. When I finally regained control of myself I felt terrible knowing my family would never know what became of me. I even toyed with the idea of going back to Texas just to see if they were OK but in the end, I decided it would be too risky, I was still pretty unstable myself but I knew if they saw me, if anyone recognized me that I would have to kill them. That knowledge sobered me up pretty damn quick and I stayed away. If your father or anyone who knows you saw you then you would be putting them in danger, no one can know about our existence, no one, it's not safe for anyone."

"I know and luckily we aren't going to take Leah back to her family, are we? I mean, we'll be delivering her to this guardian leader in Alaska won't we?"

"Yes, as far as I know, I just want to be sure that you understand the dangers."

"But f Leah goes back home to the reservation she might say something to Charlie."

"No, that will be covered in the alpha command, I'm sorry you lost your dad I know how close the two of you we're but…"

She nodded,

"But I made the choice Jasper? I know and trust me Darius gave me a full run-down of all the pitfalls, I didn't go into this blindly, don't worry, I do understand and I still wouldn't decide differently if I had a second chance, I love you."

Her response humbled me, this sweet girl had been through so much yet she still loved me despite it all, I was the luckiest man alive!

"There is one stop we could make if you want, Charlotte and Peter have been in touch asking about you and I'm sure Aro won't mind if we took a little time before coming back after we drop Leah off, that's if you want to."

The smile lit up her face and I saw the young woman I had fallen so deeply in love with,

"We can? That would be great, I liked them, will Darius be there too?"

I looked at her in mock anger,

"Should I be getting jealous here?"

She grinned,

"Maybe, he is kinda cute."

I laughed,

"I'm sure he'd be mortified to hear himself described as cute but it might be fun to see."

"No, you leave him alone, I owe him a lot, I just wanted to say thank you seeing as the last time we met I was doing my best to tear him limb from limb."

I told her I would let Peter and Charlotte know we would be visiting and ask them if they could track Darius down and ask him to join us. We were interrupted at this point by a messenger, we were summoned to Aro's study to receive our orders.


	61. Chapter 61

**Chapter Sixty One**

 **Bella**

I felt exhilarated, I was finally free of my thirst, had a way to sustain myself which did not involve killing anything and I was going on my first assignment for the Volturi. I wasn't stupid though, I knew only too well that the scent of human blood would still tempt me, it was after all that which drives all vampires, but Aro had been more than willing to allow me to dip into the blood stocks whenever I wanted and had even suggested I take some with me in a cooler. I guessed he wanted me here and was prepared to make concessions in order to do so. I'd found he wasn't as cold and aloof as I had first thought, he was actually a very clever and thoughtful man who projected a front that was vampires needed and wanted from their ruler which is not to say he couldn't be a ruthless and bloodthirsty as the next vampire if that's what it took to get what he wanted.

We were due to leave Volterra at dusk when Afton would drive us to the airport and the Volturi jet would be waiting ready to leave. How Aro arranged all this with customs and air traffic control etc. I had no idea but I suspected that money changed hands on a regular basis, after all, if criminals could organize flights in and out of countries by greasing the palms of corruptible men then why not vampires?

I had packed a bag and was waiting for Jasper to get back from seeing Heidi who apparently had arranged all the paperwork, was there no end to that girl's talents? I was still a little jealous and maybe even a little envious too but she'd been kind to me just like everyone else….well everyone except Jane,

I hadn't forgotten her nasty little trick that had me trapped in a room with the rest of the Volturi at dinner time. I would never forget that experience and I hoped never to repeat it but in a way she had done me a favor even if I would never admit as much to the little bitch. She had shown me exactly what the truth of being a vampire was and I wondered if that was how Jasper's life had been in Mexico when he was with Maria. He'd told me all about her, a real 24 karat gold bitch. If so, then I couldn't imagine how he had survived and kept his sanity not when his gift meant he had felt the excitement and hunger of every vampire and the terror and pain of every human victim. I mean, I knew he was strong but even so….. and to come through it all and still be the thoughtful and sweet man that he is was nothing short of amazing.

I heard a tap on the door and opened it to find a guard I didn't recognize standing there,

"Bella, I have a message from The Major, he said he's sorry he's been delayed but could you meet him at the clock tower entrance in about twenty minutes, someone will bring the wolf girl to the car there."

"Oh, right, Where is he?"

"I don't know but he was going into Marcus study when he caught me and asked me to deliver the message."

I nodded and he disappeared back down the corridor, maybe Aro and Marcus had some last minute instructions for us, we already knew we were to take Leah to Denali but would have to watch her carefully during refueling stops in Amsterdam and Minneapolis on the way. It seemed they were concerned that if she thought she had no way of escape she might try to kill herself and that would make the situation difficult with the guardians.

At the other end, there would be transport waiting at Anchorage airport for the drive to the Denali national park, a van to enable us to transport the guardian's body which was already on ice and waiting at the airport here. We had a contact number to call when we landed in Alaska and Johnny H's representatives would arrange to meet us and take charge of our "prisoner" and the body. I think everyone was relieved that the guardian leader had accepted Aro's deal but as Aro had said, no one wanted a war between species it would be costly and counterproductive.

Fifteen minutes later I made my way to the reception area in the clock tower carrying Jasper's bag too only to find it deserted except for Magda the human receptionist who I had been told was hoping to become a vampire one day. Having a human face as the first contact between the outside world and the Volturi was useful but I couldn't imagine why anyone should want to become a vampire unless they were in love with one and that didn't seem to be the case here although I'd seen her casting interested looks at Demetri.

Magda smiled and nodded in recognition then the phone rang and she picked it up and began speaking in German, a language I had yet to master. I guess it irked me that this young and hauntingly beautiful human woman could speak eight languages, one reason she was kept on, while I could struggle through only three, English, Italian, and French.

When Jasper still hadn't appeared fifteen minutes later I asked Magda to ring through to Marcus study and ask how much of a delay there was and if I should join them. She picked up the phone and punched a button then waited but it was obvious no one was there,

"Maybe they have already left or I could try Aro's study if you wish."

I shook my head, I'd leave it a few more minutes, as she said they were probably already on their way and would bring Leah with them.

Another ten minutes passed and I began to become uneasy, what was taking so long?

"Try Aro for me would you Magda."

She nodded but just as she picked up the receiver a red light began flashing on the console in front of her.

"Sorry Bella but that's a priority."

Demetri appeared and pulled the heavy doors closed shutting out the square and then joined by another guard indicated that both Magda and I should move out of the reception area and took up position to stop anyone from trying to get in or out.

I turned to him,

"What's going on?"

"No idea but when that light comes on we go into lockdown."

"You mean we're under attack?"

He just shrugged and turned back to watch the door into the square while his companion mirrored him looking in towards the heart of the citadel.

 **Jasper**

Heidi and I soon got the paperwork sorted, the most import thing was to make sure we had the correct documentation and releases to transport the body out of Italy and into the USA. People tended to be a little touchy about bodies beginning moved across borders but Heidi had worked her usual magic so we shouldn't have any problems.

"Have fun and bring me back a polar bear cub, they are so cute."

I grinned at her,

"I'll see what I can do for you."

As I left Marcus study which she had borrowed for the occasion the phone rang and Heidi, after answering it, called me back,

"It's for you Major."

I frowned, who knew I was here? Maybe Aro or even Bella although I couldn't think of a good reason for her to be ringing me, I'd be back at our suite in a few minutes she was expecting me.

"Yes?"

"Major Whitlock? Aro wants you to accompany the guardian prison from her room to the car."

"Right, why? Have arrangements changed?"

"I've no idea, I'm just the messenger but I have informed Bella and she said she'll meet you in reception with the luggage."

I stuffed the paperwork in my jacket pocket and made my way down the circular stairwell that led to the underground section of the citadel. Actually, I was glad to be taking charge of Leah from the start, I wanted to know her emotional state before we left so I would know how the journey was affecting her. I doubted she would go willingly even to get away from the Volturi, she had already cut all ties with her tribe and the guardians and must know that she was going to be in deep trouble in Denali.

It wasn't until I was halfway down the long stone corridor that led to her prison cell that I realized I was alone. The guards that should have been stationed at her door were missing, what the hell was going on? I slowed and listened expecting to hear only one heartbeat but there were several, what the hell we're humans doing down here? Coming to a halt I could see that Leah's door was still closed but that didn't necessarily mean that she was still inside.

Then I heard a slight noise behind me and turned just as two figures appeared at the corridors end behind me, then two more appeared at the other end and the door to Leah's room swung open. I heard the sound of claws scraping on the flagstone floor and a low rumbling sound which told me Leah was in wolf form and out for blood. I knew she was injured but I didn't know how quickly her wolf genes were healing her. Either way, I was about to find out.

A flash of something bright at both ends of the corridor told me that the humans were armed with something combustible and then the first bottle smashed on the floor about twenty feet from me the burning oil splashing the floor and walls and burning brightly. So, I had no way out, I was trapped here in this corridor with a guardian wolf out for blood.

She sprang from ten feet away hitting me on the shoulder and twisting away before I could grab a hold of her. I stumbled but kept my footing, I knew if I went down she would tear my throat out before I could recover. I had backed up a few feet and her friends obviously thought I was trying to escape, they threw more bottles and one smashed almost at my feet splashing my jeans with the burning oil. Quickly I ripped the leg out, luckily the oil hadn't soaked through the heavy denim or I would be on fire by now.

Leah turned her eyes blazing yellow with rage and attacked again claws out to rake my face but this time I managed to get a hold of her but the oil on my hands from the leg of my jeans prevented me from gripping tightly and all I managed to do was to pull a clump of fur from her body as she twisted free. She screamed in pain and rage and came for me once more this time snapping her large canines and as I moved back to give myself more room to maneuver I slipped on the burning oil and fell, my sleeve smoldering as I hit the floor.

The humans who were still watching shouted encouragement and I guessed these were probably the last of the werewolves who had been waiting to spring the trap when Leah and the other wolves lured their victim into the trap they had set although how they had gotten into the citadel I had no idea.

There was the sound of fast approaching feet and the humans turned ready with more of their deadly missiles and I shouted a warning as the guards came into view around the corner then turned all my attention back on Leah who bleeding from her wound came at me again determined to kill or be killed.

I got a better hold on her this time although she struggled fiercely and caught me on the shoulder taking a decent sized bite out of my neck and spitting it out on the floor where it lay illuminated by the slowly dying flames from the earliest Molotov cocktails the werewolf humans had thrown.

I finally pinned her down, I really didn't want to kill her, it would make matters much worse between us and the guardians so I tried to regulate my strength attempting to break ribs without crushing her to death and then the world exploded in a ball of pain and I dropped to the floor with Leah writhing on top of me.


	62. Chapter 62

**Chapter Sixty Two**

 **Bella**

I had only taken a few steps down the circular stairwell that led down towards the lower reaches of the citadel drawn on by something that told me Jasper was in trouble when I heard a scream from behind me and turning I saw the walls lit by a flame that spun and danced across them. Immediately I retraced my steps slowing as I reached the top and peered out cautiously only to see the guard who had been watching the interior staggering around burning like a grotesque candle and screaming while Demetri stood frozen as Magda held what looked like an aerosol can in her hand and from it's top licked a tongue of flame. As she aimed it at Demetri's head I closed my eyes and loosed my gift hoping it wouldn't knock Demetri forward into the flame.

There was a scream and the sound of furniture smashing against walls and the ceiling and then I pulled it back and opened my eyes again praying I hadn't just cremated Demetri too, I had tried to aim the force of my gift at the direction the flame had come from. He was down on the floor hugging a pillar to protect himself from being flung into the air which had worked to a degree although his shirt and jacket both hung in tatters and a heavy marble coffee table lay shattered around him.

"Are you OK?"

He nodded,

"Yes, thanks to you, but I think we're going to need a new receptionist."

He gestured over to where something that looked like a crushed and twisted store manikin lay in an ever-widening pool of blood. It was strange but the heavy scent of the blood did nothing to me, maybe I was just too pumped up with adrenalin.

"Go, find out what's happening Bella, I'll see what I can do up here."

I flew down the stairs this time and as I reached the bottom I could smell more smoke and burning oil. My insides froze and I murmured "Please let Jasper be OK" as I ran on. The corridor ahead leading to Leah's cell was bathed in an eerie flickering light and I heard movements and whimpering noises. The sight I came across as I turned the corner made me stop and gasp. There were four humans writhing on the ground in balls and whimpering in pain while oily flames flickered on the walls and the floor between them and two more bodies further on. I stepped over them and recognizing my mate I screamed his name and fell to my knees at his side pushing Leah to one side not caring that she cracked her head on the flagstones and then lay silent and still.

I checked Jasper over, he was battered and bruised but he would be OK once he'd had a chance to drink some blood. I hurriedly pulled off my own jacket and balled it up pressing it into the ragged hole where Leah's fangs had ripped at his flesh and felt like killing the bitch myself.

Jasper took my hand and pulled me forward to kiss me,

"She isn't worth it Bella. Are there any more of them?"

I nodded,

"Yes, Magda or so it seems, she killed Ferdinand, burned him to death but I saved Demetri."

We both turned as more black figures appeared swarming over the moaning humans and pulling them to their feet ignoring any injuries, I guess it wouldn't matter, they were sure to be executed for what they had done.

It was then I saw more humans being dragged to their feet about a hundred feet past us and standing in the open doorway of Leah's cell was Jane. She looked somehow different but I couldn't put my finger on it at first then it registered….she was frightened. What on earth had frightened her? Surely not the humans? It didn't make any sense but I forgot about her as Jasper staggered to his feet,

"I need blood, come on. I guess our trip will be postponed for a while. At least until she's on her feet again."

He gestured to Leah who lay pale as death on the floor gasping for breath, a thin trickle of blood running down her face from a cut on her scalp, a face that was bruised and swollen from the fight.

We ran into Aro, Marcus, and Carlisle, on the stairs and Jasper gave them a very quick rundown on what had happened.

"Go, look after yourself Major. Once you are healed come to my study. I'll call a meeting of the council and you can give us the details later."

Aro swept past followed by the other two and I knew Carlisle's services would be needed this time although whether Aro would allow him to treat the humans I didn't know, they were the enemy after all and had killed members of the guard.

Our suite was a small sanctuary away from the smell of oil and smoke and Jasper sank down onto the bed with a groan.

"How the hell did they get inside the citadel and where were the guards? No one was guarding Leah's cell."

"I think maybe Magda told them a way in, she probably snooped around until she found some way for them but we may never know, she's dead."

He raised an eyebrow,

"You?"

I nodded,

"She'd already set one guard on fire and she was ready to do the same to Demetri so I used my gift and Jasper, I managed to control it. It killed Magda but Demetri was OK. Well, when I say OK I mean he didn't get minced but he might have a headache, a marble table fell on his head."

Jasper grinned and lifted his arm to stroke my face only to drop it again and wince as venom leaked from his wound.

Heidi appeared very quickly with more blood bags.

"Carlisle told me you were injured Major, what happened? Are you getting slow in your old age?"

He swore but he was grinning and she winked at me as she handed him the bags,

"Well done Bella, I hear sweet little Magda is now food for the fishes."

Now I knew what they had in mind for the body and any others I guessed, a short trip to the ocean and weighted lines to keep them down while the creatures of the deep had their banquet!

It didn't take long for the blood to work its magic and although he still had to be careful Jasper could use his arm again and the surface had healed over.

"I must be getting soft Bella, I let a wolf get the better of me."

"Hardly, you're the one still standing,"

"Much as I hate to admit it I think that might have been down to Jane rather than me."

"That was lucky…...or was it? Why were you both down there anyway?"

"I don't know about Jane but I got a message to escort Leah to the car, why?"

"Because I got a message to wait for you in reception, someone was keeping us apart and I want to know why."

"Who gave you the message?"

I shrugged,

"I don't know his name, I don't think I'd seen him before.

I described the man I had spoken to and Jasper nodded,

"That was Abel, probably the only person in Volterra who truly likes Jane, with the exception of Alec and herself that is."

"Who gave you the message to collect Leah?"

He groaned,

"I'm not sure, I didn't recognize the voice, it sounded a little faint but I thought that was just the line. Now I'm not so sure, I guess it could have been Jane."

"But why? What did they hope to achieve? Please tell me you don't think they wanted to ambush you."

"She's still pissed at me for making her look like a fool so maybe, and Abel was to keep you away so you couldn't protect me from her. I don't think they're behind this thing with the wolves though, Jane would never betray Aro like that, this is her home and he's like a father figure to her."

"Well, I guess the only way to find out is to speak to Aro, no doubt he's having the prisoners interrogated."

Jasper nodded but pulled me close and kissed me hungrily,

"Let's give the man a little while to get the answers, it would be rude to appear too quickly and demand answers he might not have yet."

As he pulled me down on top of him I had to agree, it would be rude indeed.

When we finally got up and after showering Jasper finished the last of the blood bags and we made our way slowly through a citadel that still smelled of smoke and noticed there were a lot more security in evidence stationed in every corridor and at all the doors, the citadel was still on high alert.

Aro's study was crammed to bursting, every member of the council was there and the noise level was high as it seemed everyone wanted to speak at the same time. Seeing us Aro called for quiet and the room fell silent.

"Major, Bella, I'm glad to see you. Felix has just arrived with statements from the prisoners although I doubt they will tell us much that we cannot deduce for ourselves. Leah has been examined and treated by Carlisle although most unwillingly. Perhaps you could tell us what you know and then we will hear from the guards who were absent from their posts and anyone else who might have information about this breach of security."

Once everyone was seated the room didn't feel so claustrophobic and I listened keenly as Jasper told them exactly what he had told me, then it was my turn. When we had finished Aro nodded looking around the room,

"It seems someone wanted The Major and Bella to be parted although why we still do not know, nor do we know if this had anything to do with the later incursion. It would be extremely worrying if the werewolves had managed to infiltrate the citadel and move around freely enough to deliver messages without being spotted. Is this likely?"

He turned to Felix who shook his head,

"No, any strangers wandering around freely would have been spotted and arrested, especially humans or even children of the moon. Whoever gave the messages belonged here in Volterra."

Aro pondered on this for a few seconds before nodding,

"I agree. So, who were the messengers? Do we know?"

He looked at Jasper who nodded,

"One was Abel, the other was female but I can't be sure who it was."

"Very well, Felix please have Abel escorted here but keep him outside for now."

Once the order had been passed on Aro motioned for Felix to continue then summed up the situation as far as we knew it.

"So, our prisoners are reluctant to say anything but I think it is safe to assume that they are connected to the wolves who ambushed The Major and Bella, friends of the wolf girl Leah. We know from Bella that Magda was working with them, she attacked Demetri and killed another. I happen to know that Demetri was the original target of the mission so it is, I think, also safe to assume that Magda found a way to smuggle the humans inside and found them a hiding place. They were not, however, the same people who ordered the guards away from Leah's cell."

A ripple of noise ran around the room at this and Aro waited for it to subside before continuing.

"Would you ask Jane to step in please, Carlisle?"

She came in looking terrified but defiant and held her head up high.

"Jane, is there something you want to tell the assembled council?"

In a halting tone, Jane outlined her plan for revenge against Jasper and myself, how she and Abel had decided to lure the guards away, call for Jasper to go down to the cells and ambush him knowing I would be waiting in reception for him unable to help protect him from her gift.

"But we had nothing to do with the humans entering and as soon as I saw them I did all I could to help The Major."

There was a long accusatory pause before Aro spoke again,

"So you say, but you were responsible for allowing the humans to free the guardian who then attacked The Major and could have escaped to kill again. Who knows how many she and her friends could have killed before they were overcome."

Jane hung her head but didn't speak, there was nothing she could say to his accusation and he sighed. It was easy to see he was hurt by Jane's actions seeing them as a personal affront.

"I had high hopes of you Jane but you have proved yourself unworthy of my trust, your associate Abel too. He will be demoted and the two of you will spend the next few days putting right all the damage caused by your treacherous stupidity."

We all saw her sag in relief at Aro's words but he hadn't finished with her yet.

"After that, in punishment for your cowardly attack on a fellow member of the Volturi, The Major, you will spend your time as one of the guards working under his command hunting down and exterminating any remaining children of the moon. Until he returns from his next mission you will wait in a place outside the town and only if you fulfill your orders under his command without question will you be allowed back into Volterra."

She looked up horrified,

"I'm to be exiled? That's not fair, it's all I know."

"Fair? Go now before I lose all patience with you immature child and change my mind making your punishment fit the crime more fittingly."

She turned tight-jawed and marched out but I was sure I could see her shoulders slump in defeat before the door closed on her.


	63. Chapter 63

**Chapter Sixty Three**

 **Aro**

Although it had been important to deal with Jane and Abel after all their actions had caused a serious breach of security, one which could have been so much worse if not for Bella's rapid response. Abel was to be removed from the guard and watched closely as he was given menial tasks to perform. I would have ordered his execution, I didn't want or need anyone who might be a risk to the security of the Volturi here in the citadel but as he was guilty only to a lesser degree, Jane having decided on the plan and how to execute, it if I had condemned him I would have been forced to do the same to Jane and despite everything she had done she was too valuable to lose. Besides, I had no idea how her death might affect her brother and he too was a valuable asset to us so she got off lightly although I doubted she would view it in that light.

Her actions had also forced me to contact Denali and move the date of the handover and although I had no need to explain why I decided it would be politically expedient to do so, especially as it put the girl in a bad light.

"I was unsure whether to execute the girl for her actions but as I had already offered her safe release into your hands I decided against it. I will, however, need an undertaking that she will not be a future danger to us before she is handed over."

There was a long silence before Johnny H agreed to my demand, he knew as did I that without his promise to keep the girl under control I could not release her to him, it would make me appear weak before my own people.

Carlisle reported that the girl would be in a fit state to travel in a few days when I called him in for a report.

"I thought you said she was not gravely injured?"

"I did, and she is not, but she is suffering from broken ribs and internal bleeding although that seems to have stopped now, she also has a severe concussion."

"And her wolf gene? Is that not working to heal her?"

"Yes, it is. Look, I know you are eager to get rid of her but have a little compassion Aro, the girl is in pain."

I stared at him, compassion? Was he joking?

"Carlisle, the girl attempted to kill several members of the Volturi, she and her friends not only attempted to set fire to the citadel but killed several guards and almost killed The Major. Pray tell me why I should view her with compassion? I doubt she would show a vampire in the same situation with any compassion. She's lucky to still have a heartbeat."

He sighed but didn't speak, he knew how lucky she was to still be breathing after all she and her werewolf friends had been responsible for.

"She leaves today, I don't care if she had to be taken to the airport on a stretcher, she's going so I suggest you do whatever you can to make her more comfortable if it concerns you so much. All I require is that she causes no problems during the flight and arrives alive, no more, no less"

As he left I sat back in my chair exasperated, I considered Carlisle a close friend but he could be extremely wearing at times with his compassion for humans. In fact, if you looked at it logically, he was the one responsible for most of this trouble. If he hadn't arranged for William to mess with the memories of his family….it struck me then that perhaps he was a little mad himself.

 **Jasper**

Bella was still furious with Jane and looking for revenge,

"If Aro insists on hiding her outside of the town then I'll just have to go and find her, she is not getting away with what she did and the justice Aro dished out was way too lenient for my tastes."

I smiled and pulled her close wincing slightly as my shoulder protested and I felt a twinge of pain.

"Let it go darlin' she's not worth it."

"No she's not, but you are and she was looking to kill you. Jasper, I can't help how I feel, I'm a vampire now and I can't bear the thought of her getting off so lightly."

"Then it can wait until we get back from the States. Let's get Leah safely back to Denali first and if you still feel the same way when we get back then I won't try to stop you."

She grinned,

"Promise?"

I nodded and kissed her hoping that her temper might have cooled by the time we returned, I wasn't sure quite what she had in store for Jane but Aro might have something to say if Bella went too far.

 **Bella**

I was prepared to wait for my revenge, after all, I was sure Jane understood that it wasn't over between us and she would be waiting for me to appear. Let her stew in it for a week or two and then, when I finally got my hands on her I would enjoy her fear even more. It would give me time to think of a suitable punishment, nothing too mundane, she deserved a punishment she would never forget.

I thought it might be a few days before Leah was fit enough to travel so it came as something of a shock when Aro informed us that the plane was scheduled to leave in the early hours of the following morning.

"I think it would be best for everyone if we do not leave this too long, if there are any werewolves still out there they will be biding their time to free her and there has been quite enough trouble because of her presence. When you return Major I want you to take charge of a scouting party, including Jane of course, and scour the surrounding countryside. Having you back before the next full moon is preferable, another reason to get this over with. Any that you find must be executed, we must finish what Caius started. I did not agree with his personal vendetta against the children of the moon but as he was not able to complete the task we must, it is just too dangerous to leave any alive especially as they seem to have discovered a way to control their violent nature and work together. So, return the girl as quickly as you can and get back here. Felix will choose your team, if that is acceptable to you, and teach them about the children of the moon, very few Volturi know anything useful about them and it would be reckless to send out ignorant guards who might just get themselves killed by acting rashly."

As we picked up yet more paperwork from Heidi who had been forced to rearrange our trip I asked Jasper why Aro was so wary of the werewolves when he seemed content to arrange an accommodation with the shapeshifters.

"It's a matter of the differences between the two really. Shapeshifters, or guardians, are rational creatures who have control of themselves most of the time. They may lose control if provoked but usually, they can control themselves and they can be affected by vampire venom which while it is not lethal on its own will weaken them considerably. Children of the moon are something else completely, they are immune to venom and as strong and fast as vampires, they are the only true threat to vampires. They are also extremely volatile and in wolf form, they lose their humanity and become feral which means they are more likely to attack whatever the situation. Now, if as seems likely, they have evolved to the point where they work in packs more frequently, the original ones rarely did so, then that makes them even more dangerous to us."

Now I understood and like Aro, I wanted to make sure the children of the moon were eradicated but I still wasn't happy that it was to be my mate who was to do the job and I told him so.

"Oh, I think Aro took it as read that you would be going along with us, your gift will give us a big advantage, but let's worry about that when we get back. For now, it's time to head to the airport."

"What about Leah? Don't we need to collect her first? And the body?"

Just the thought of the latter gave me shivers up my spine.

"Aro decided it might be wise under the circumstances to send the body on ahead to the airport so we aren't held up by bureaucracy and Leah will be accompanied by Carlisle and a squad of guards just in case there are any werewolves still hanging around."

"Do you really think there are? Surely they would have used their numbers when they attacked in the citadel."

"Unless they thought there was a good chance they might lose the battle, in which case it would make sense to keep some in reserve like I said thinking werewolves are much more dangerous. The old ones might have charged in with fangs bared but this new breed? Who knows."

As Jasper drove down the mountain and through the countryside I couldn't help feeling that maybe we were being watched. That out there somewhere was a pack of wolves just waiting for another chance to attack and free Leah who was almost one of them as her mate had been a werewolf.

I tried to imagine what it must be like having no control over your body when the moon influenced what you were and how you acted.

"Do you think it hurts when a werewolf transforms? I mean does it just hit them or do they change slowly? Their bodies change shape which means that bones must break and reform, it's too horrible to even consider."

He was quiet for a few moments and I wondered what he was thinking out but then he nodded,

"Yes it hurts, it's agony, I know because I saw a transformation once and it's not a pretty sight, I'm not surprised they go crazy and lose control."

"When did you see that?"

"When I was in Mexico with Maria. I hadn't been a vampire that long and we brought in some captives from a nearby village, we hadn't had much luck further away so we snatched a few peasants from the fields. Maria went nuts, we weren't supposed to hunt in the vicinity of the camp but as we were moving out the next day I didn't think it mattered so much. Anyway, she gave the captives to the newborns to feed on and told me to get ready to move immediately. I could sense her fear and she knew I was aware of it so she explained, the local villagers were protected by a werewolf and that night was a full moon."

I turned to look at him fascinated by his story,

"Anyway, we were ready to break camp as the moon rose and then there was a commotion in the compound, the newborns had formed a circle around one captive who had been put to one side for Maria to feed on. As we broke through the crowd there was a blood-chilling scream and suddenly the captive's body just seemed to come unhinged, as if all his bones and tendons were rearranging themselves under the skin."

"Maria ordered me to get the other commanders and leave the newborns, she said they would be a distraction, allow us to get away. As it turned out though his transformation was faster than she bargained for and suddenly there were pieces of vampire flesh raining down everywhere, this wolf, well it was more man shaped really but with the claws and fangs of a wolf and the strangest yellow eyes I had ever seen so full of rage, was tearing through the newborns like they were mere children. He was so fast and so strong, I'm not even sure I could have taken him but in the event, I wasn't put to the test. He turned away distracted by one of the newborns who was trying to run into the trees to hide. Next thing the wolf was after him and we left, fast."

"What about the surviving newborns? Did you take them with you?"

"That's the point, Bella, there were no survivors out of a group of ten new vampires, he killed them all or at least ripped them to shreds and Maria explained that as soon as he left the villagers would come and burn the remains. All we could do was to save ourselves."

After that, I watched our surroundings even more closely and I was relieved when the airport finally came into sight.


	64. Chapter 64

**Chapter Sixty Four**

 **Bella**

When we reached the airport the body of the dead guardian was already in the hold and knowing this made me feel uneasy, I didn't like the thought of flying for hours with a corpse on the plane but there was nothing I could do about that, it was all a part of the agreement between Aro and Johnny H. I guess I'd watched too many horror movies as a kid to expect a corpse to simple remain one in a situation where escape was impossible, they always came back to life to torment and kill the innocent people around them.

Once aboard I shook off this feeling and went to check on Leah who lay on the bed in the rear of the private jet looking pale and haggard. Carlisle had given her a painkiller and sedation before we arrived and left more should she request them during the journey although I doubted she would ask either me or Jasper for help, she'd rather suffer in silence than admit to any weakness in front of those she considered the enemy.

"If she looks like she's in pain you could offer her some help even if she doesn't ask for it, Bella. Try to remember she was a friend once rather than what she has done more recently."  
I nodded as I took the small box Carlisle handed me and put it safely in an overhead locker.

"I'll try Carlisle, I guess I could transfer all that hate to Jane instead."

He shook his head,

"Anger and mistrust do you no good Bella they merely corrupt you. Try to remember what it felt like to forgive when you were a human and hold onto that if you can."

I was getting a little sick of his lecturing tone and decided to remind him that he wasn't exactly a saint.

"Why? So I don't hate you for your betrayal Carlisle? I think it's a little late for that and as for Leah, even now she would kill me if she got the opportunity."

He opened his mouth but then shut it again, he knew there was no answer to my question that would satisfy, it was all too little too late.

We discovered that Aro had sent two guards to accompany us because as he had explained,

"I would hate for there to be any unpleasantness on the way to Alaska. I don't expect there to be any problems but at the same time it pays to take precautions."

Jasper had simply shrugged,

"I don't think the guardians would try to double cross you, Aro, that would only provoke retaliation, besides with Bella along we really don't need any backup."

He had pondered this and finally nodded,

"Very well, the guards will accompany you as far as Minneapolis only, they have other duties to perform there. It will mean your prisoner is well guarded during the flight, after all, I would hate for her to get free and destroy my plane."

It made the flight less comfortable than it could have been but as they stayed by Leah's side in the bedroom most of the time we could pretend we were alone and should the corpse become reanimated there were more of us to fight it off!

When we stopped for refueling in Amsterdam I went in to check on Leah to find her laying on the bed with one wrist and ankle handcuffed to the metal frame. She opened her eyes when I entered then recognizing me turned her head away.

"Carlisle left some painkillers for you, would you like them?"

She didn't answer me but deciding to make an effort with her I sat down on the edge of the bed motioning for the guard on duty to leave us.

Once he had gone I tried again,

"I'm truly sorry you lost your mate Leah, that must have been dreadful for you but it was stupid to go to Italy and try to get revenge. You didn't stand a chance against the Volturi."

She sat up the chains clinking as she did so and stared at me coldly,

"Really? And what would you know about the pain of losing a mate? Besides we penetrated the citadel didn't we? And managed to kill some leeches. Not bad for one girl and an extinct species."

She sounded so bitter I almost felt sorry for her.

"What will your leader do with you?"

She shrugged then hissed in pain but when I offered her the pain relief again she pushed it violently away cursing.

"I don't want it and I don't want to talk to you either. He's not my leader, girl's don't phase in my tribe, I'm a freak so I don't care what the great Johnny H does."

"Your family will be relieved to hear from you."

This time she laughed bitterly,

"You think so? As far as they are concerned I disgraced them by falling in love with a werewolf and when they find out I phased too they'll hate me even more. I wouldn't go back to Forks even if I could, I hate them, I just want to die so I can be reunited with Luka."

I noticed her body was beginning to tremble, she was trying to phase presumably so she could force the plane to crash, something Aro would not be happy about although we would all survive even if it fell from the sky, all of us except Leah that was. I wrenched the lid of the box open grabbed a syringe containing a sedative and jammed it into her thigh as her outline began to shimmer. Luckily the drug Carlisle had supplied was quick acting and within seconds the shimmering stopped and Leah's eyes became heavy,

"Bitch"

The word was slurred and almost inaudible as her breathing became shallower and she drifted to sleep. She really did have a death wish so we would have to be very careful if we wanted to get her to Alaska alive and in one piece.

When Jasper rejoined me after checking on our "cargo"

and ringing Aro with a situation update I told him what had occurred.

"She really does want to die and I guess I can understand that. Vampire's who lose their mates often kill themselves because they can't cope with the pain and I guess it's probably the same for imprints. I'd be happy to oblige her if not for Aro's order that we deliver her alive. I just hope Johnny H can command her to stay stateside and away from vampires or she will get her wish."

I thought about his words, Darius had told me how awful it was living without his Sara and I knew how I had felt when I thought I would never see Jasper again. That had been bad enough and he wasn't even dead!

When we stopped for refueling again, this time in Minneapolis the two guards left after being assured by Jasper that we had everything under control and as the plane took off again he turned to me,

"Well, this is it, the last leg of our journey. Aro told me that there will be someone waiting at the airport to take charge of the body and take it through customs and organize all the paperwork then we can pick it up and head for Denali. The guardians are scheduled to meet us at the entrance to the park, about 240 miles north of Anchorage. We have to call with our estimated ETA when we get closer."

I was intrigued,

"Have you ever been there? Denali I mean."

"Actually yes, Carlisle and Esme have friends who live in Denali, Carmen…."

"And Eleazar, of course, I met him. He was the one who told me about my gift but I didn't realize he lived in the national park. I guess it must be good for hunting if you live on animal blood."

"I think that's one of the reasons they set up home there but I don't plan on seeing them, they aren't great fans of the Volturi."

I nodded not sure I wanted to meet any more of Carlisle's friends, not if William who had erased our memories was anything to go by.

I gave Leah one more shot so she was docile by the time we went through customs in Anchorage. There was paperwork for her detailing the fact she had been involved in a serious road accident and was being repatriated and I guess with a little Volturi palm greasing we were waved through without incident to my great relief.

We had to hang around a couple of hours while the guardian body passed through its checks but finally, the body in its sealed shipping casket looking like a huge parcel arrived at the van. Jasper who had once more been on the phone with Aro came over and thanked the delivery men giving each a well-stuffed envelope before they left.

"One short detour, Aro wants the body placed in a proper coffin before we deliver it, something about proper procedure, I don't think he wants to appear offensive to Johnny H. it shouldn't take too long and it is on our way. How's Leah?"

"Still sleeping like a baby, let's get going, shall we? I've already secured her on the back seat, handcuffs at wrist and ankle should do the job along with the sedatives."

We had a five hour journey ahead of us and I think both of us would be happier once we had safely rid ourselves of our companions so I didn't begin to relax until the "package" had been taken to a funeral home on the outskirts of Anchorage where the body was placed into a polished wood casket and returned to us and once more envelopes changed hands. I was beginning to wonder if there was anything you couldn't arrange if the price was right.

This time as we pulled onto Highway 3 I knew our next stop would be our last and then our task would be over. I was intrigued at the thought of meeting the leader of the guardian tribes, after all, I'd heard about him when I did research for the articles I used to write. Thinking of those rekindled memories of Sally for the first time in ages, how excited she would have been to meet Johnny H in the flesh. This made me sad, after all, I was ultimately responsible for her death and those of Stella and her father. There was a lot of blood on my hands and a good deal of it had been put there before I became a vampire, a sobering thought.

We stopped an hour out of the city at a drive through and I got burgers and fries for Leah who hadn't eaten anything since we took off from Pisa and refused anything offered to her except water. I wasn't sure she would take anything from me now but hunger and thirst overcame her reluctance and she snatched the food tearing the wrappers off and biting into a burger before opening the first soda and draining it in two gulps. She saw me looking at her in the mirror and swallowed her mouthful,

"What? Are you waiting for me to thank you? Even a prisoner is entitled to food and water."

I lowered my eyes feeling her stare of burning hatred on my back, she had always been a moody young girl but this Leah was very different, cold, hard, and bitter and I wondered what Sue and Harry would make of her if she was sent home.

We stopped again about an hour and a half from the park entrance so Jasper could contact Denali and give them our ETA while I escorted Leah into the restaurant restrooms, the sedatives we're wearing off and she had been complaining about a full bladder for some time.

"Don't try anything stupid Leah, please."

She sneered at me,

"What's the point, we're too close to Denali now, he'd just send out guardians to hunt me down. Don't worry, you'll soon be shot of me."

I didn't answer her because it was true, I would soon be rid of her and to be honest I couldn't wait, I hated this bitterly twisted creature that Leah had become.

As she had said she didn't attempt to escape in fact she seemed to become quieter and less vitriolic the closer we got to our destination, as if she had given up. Maybe the thought she would soon be among her own kind gave her some comfort despite her words to the contrary. If what she said was true then she had nowhere to call home any longer and no one who cared about or loved her. I found that hard to believe, Harry had been proud of his daughter when she was little and Sue loved both her children but maybe there was something in her claim that being a freak made a difference to the Quileutes, I hoped not, she needed to feel loved, to feel she belonged if she was ever going to survive the death of her mate.


	65. Chapter 65

**Chapter Sixty Five**

 **Bella**

As we pulled up to the park entrance two hours later we could see figures waiting in the darkness, four of them, and as they moved closer Jasper jumped out while I stayed inside with our prisoner to make sure she didn't attempt to make a final escape bid. I could hear the conversation as the leader of the party stepped forward to speak to Jasper.

"You have Joseph's body in the back?"

"Yes, and the girl is in the truck. Do you need help getting the casket onto your truck?"

A beat up old flatbed truck was waiting across the lot from where we had stopped,

"No, we have it."

Three of the men waited as Jasper opened the back of our van while the fourth collected the truck parking it up close so they didn't have far to carry the casket and there was less chance of it being observed by anyone on the highway although we had been the only vehicle on it for hours.

Once it was safely on the back of the truck two of the men hopped in and drove away slowly leaving the other two to conclude business. When Jasper motioned for us to join him I opened the door and waited but Leah refused to move and the others just stood to watch us. In the end, I was forced to pull her out although she offered no resistance, she just wouldn't move of her own volition.

Once out of the van she stood as if ready to run but one of the young men stepped forward and one took her by the arm,

"Are you injured?"

The younger of the two addressed his question to Leah but she ignored him.

"I'll take it that's a no. Henry, take her over to the car."

The other tugged on Leah's arm and she began to move with him over to a car I had spotted parked in the shadows as the younger man turned his attention to Jasper,

"Your task is finished, you should leave here Major Whitlock."

"You have the advantage over me, but I take it you're Johnny H."

I stared at the man in amazement, this was Johnny H? The leader of the guardian tribes, the most powerful man in their world? He hardly looked old enough to have left high school but as I studied him more closely I could see the wisdom and gravity in his eyes, they were much too old for his face as if they had seen things he couldn't possibly have in his short time on this planet.

He nodded but Jasper merely continued to stare at him.

"Is there something else Major?"

"No, just making sure I remember your face should we ever meet again."

He laughed humorlessly,

"I doubt we will but if that should ever happen you will at least know the name of your killer."

Jasper nodded,

"Or you yours, of course, depending on the outcome."

Johnny H was smiling now,

"I've heard a lot about you Major and I hope the day never comes when we are forced to face each other across a battlefield. Neither your leader not I wish for war, it is far too wasteful of young lives but we will see. Thank Aro for me, the gesture with the casket has not gone unnoticed."

"Did you know about the werewolves?"

Johnny H sighed,

"Did I know you had failed to slaughter them all? Yes. did I know they would attempt to make war on the Volturi? No, although I guess it was inevitable if they ever overcame their solitary nature. They do not come under my protection, they are not guardians, so I will neither act against nor with them if that is what worries the Volturi but it would be sensible to hunt them down if you do not want a replay of the incursion into Volterra."

"Don't worry, matters are already in hand and so long as they don't try to hide behind the guardians this is the end of the matter."

"And if they do? Will you go to war over a few pathetic remnants of the children of the moon? Shame on you Major."

"I don't make the decisions, I just carry them out."

Johnny nodded again then turned to me,

"And you are the girl who scares everyone so much. Seldom does such beauty accompany a weapon of such destruction. It was good to finally meet you, Isabella Swan, I wonder what your father would say if he could see you now."

He shook his head slowly then turned and walked over to join Leah and the other guardian and soon their tail lights were lost to sight in the gloom.

Jasper grasped my hand,

"Come on, it's time we were gone. I don't like it here, too close to the enemy's lair. Look."

He motioned over to the side where I saw to my astonishment two white bears watching us from a distance.

"Are they….?"

He nodded,

"Yeah, they're guardians and although I could probably take them by myself it wouldn't be fair to set you on two poor defenseless little teddy bears now would it?"

I punched his arm then laughed,

"I guess not."

Then it occurred to me why we had been selected to accompany Leah here.

"Aro wanted them to see me so when Leah tells them all about my gift they will understand the Volturi only sending two of us into the guardian's territory didn't he?"

"Something like that, although it wasn't really necessary was it? It seems that your fame has gone before you, Johnny H already knew all about you which makes me wonder if either there's a spy in Volterra or maybe there were some other werewolves watching when Leah and her friends attacked us originally. Either way, Aro needs to be told. Let's get the hell out of here before I acquire a taste for bear blood."

The two bears roared their disapproval of his words which they had caught despite the great distance between us and as we drove off I could see them in the mirror now standing in the road and watching our departure.

We hadn't gone far when the van's engine began to splutter and then died stranding us out in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night and to top it all the snow began to fall thickly around us.

"How did we run out of gas? You filled up only a few hours ago."

Jasper shrugged,

"Maybe it's a loose connection, I'll see."

He popped the hood and jumped out while I tried to get a signal so I could report to Aro that our mission was accomplished but it seemed we were in a cell signal black hole which figured.

I heard something outside and went to see if Jasper needed any help although I knew absolutely nothing about the combustion engine or how it worked so I wasn't going to be any use but I could offer moral support. As soon as I opened the door I could smell it, the same scent of wolf that I had smelled in the citadel but much more faint and mixed with it was gasoline and smoke.

"Join us leech."

Jasper was standing by the front bumper of the van and surrounding us were a circle of ten figures each holding a flaming torch and a bottle filled with gasoline. Did they never give up?

About to use my gift and praying I wouldn't mess up and allow the flames to come in contact with the rag wicks or us I was stopped by the sound of loud growls coming from the darkness, were there more of them? No, it couldn't be werewolves, the new moon had gone and wouldn't be back for another few weeks so who was out there and more importantly whose side were they on?

Then a figure walked into sight lit by the flickering flames and I recognized the young man Johnny H. He looked at the assembled figures and shook his head,

"Do the children of the moon have a death wish? How dare you attempt an ambush on guardian territory."

The figures looked at each other and murmured uncomfortably then one woman older than most stepped forward as a spokesperson for them.

"Do guardians protect leeches? These monsters have hunted us down and almost destroyed our race, they deserve to die."

He nodded,

"Yes, they do but not on my land, they are under my protection until they leave Alaska and you are fools if you think you have any chance of killing them. All you will do is to finish the job they began centuries ago. Now leave."

A few of the younger men and women stepped forward cursing him then came to a sudden halt as three huge white bears appeared to stand at his back.

"Leave or die at our hands, the choice is yours."

He waited quite calmly watching as they exchanged glances and then the woman sighed deeply,

"Come, there will be another occasion for revenge."

I thought there might be trouble as she walked away throwing her weapon down so the gas leaked out to stain the freshly fallen snow but the bears growled another warning and the remaining wolf people followed her discarding their weapons too.

We all waited in silence until they were gone and then Johnny turned to us,

"I didn't do that for you. They deserve their revenge but as you brought back my brother and Leah I could hardly allow them to kill you today but I would be very careful because their hatred for the vampires is all they have left and they will never let go of it."

He didn't wait for us to answer him he simply turned and as the bears followed I saw his form waver as if I were watching him underwater and then in his place walked the largest polar bear I had ever seen, much larger than the others who had fallen into line behind him and then they vanished.

"I guess there's no point in asking them for a tow?"

I couldn't help laughing, the tension abated and Jasper fell to his knees to check under the van.

"They must have sabotaged the van when we stopped last time for gas, there's a hole in the fuel line, then just followed us waiting for the engine to cut out. I guess they got lucky today."

I nodded although I couldn't help feeling sorry for them as the last survivors of a once numerous species who had been hunted almost to extinction by the Volturi.

"I guess we'll be walking the rest of the way, I'll call for a recovery truck when we hit the next town."

I took his outstretched hand and we began to walk back towards Anchorage for our flight back home to Volterra.

 **Jasper**

It was good to be going home with Bella and knowing that now she was settled with her own way of coping with our diet which was at least acceptable to Aro I could concentrate on my work once more. I had been told in private that my sentence had now been quashed and I was back to my place as a commander in the guard and not only that but I had been promoted. I was now second in command after Felix who was going to take some time away from Volterra now he had someone other than Aro he trusted to keep the guard working smoothly.

I suspected that he might have decided it was finally time to look for a woman, if not a mate. From what I had heard Felix had many female companions over the centuries but as he took on more responsibility for the running of the Volturi guard as the brothers found themselves busy with other things he had been more or less trapped in the citadel unless he was out on a mission, maybe that was why he never smiled.

I looked forward to having overall control, there were a few guards I had noticed who had become very slack although they usually tried to hide it from Felix himself, they were mid-rank officers, the worst for doing that kind of thing, I'd found the same was true in the Confederate Army, they hid behind the footsoldiers always finding someone to blame if things went wrong. One of these was Jane although I doubt anyone else had noticed. She had been one of Aro's pets for so long she really began to believe she was a cut above everyone else and I was going to enjoy showing her how wrong she really was. She already hated me and by the time I was finished that hatred would have grown into a fierce loathing. If she wasn't hurting or bullying someone she wasn't interested and it was probably too late to change her attitude now but I was certainly going to try. With Bella at my side Jane would no longer feel superior as a result of her gift, she was no more powerful than any other guard and she would hate that even more. All in all, life was looking good for me and for Bella.

 **THE END.**


End file.
